Two Birds, One Arrow
by The B.A.T
Summary: NEW CHAPTER UP!!! The preparations are almost complete, and excitement is in the air all around as the countdown draws to a close. Jamie and the Wild Eagle learn why they co-exist, and the plan for the attack on the Backdraft is made. This and more! R&R!!
1. If At First You Don't Succeed

Hey, might as well get the ball rolling. I'm going to start the first chapter of

for my first Zoids fic. This is a snippet, just to get some opinions. 

Jamie and Pierce, ALL RIGHT! YEAHHHH!! Anyways, you'll just have to wait for 

Leena and Naomi (I've never written yuri before, so I refuse to screw up my 

first attempt), but I will try to take up the task some time this 

month. If you want to write it instead, then by all means...

*Disclaimer- I do not own Zoids in any way. I am not sure who does own it 

(Maybe Sunrise... go figure) but it is definitely not meant to be implied

that the ideas and characters are my own. Of course, if I had my own

Liger Zero and the Panzer unit, I'm sure I could negotiate at least a little

piece of ownership evil grin. All right, here goes, first chapter!

TWO BIRDS, ONE ARROW

Chapter 1- If At First You Don't Succeed... 

"I've got you now," uttered an eager Backdraft pilot, locking on to the Raynos before her. This battle was hers. Then, the unexpected happened. The green Zoid flew up and out of her sight. "Huh? Impossible! Where'd he go?" A few seconds of silence left her confused, but nothing prepared her for what she was about to hear.

"Back here!" The Raynos had done a complete loop and was now tailing her. Already locked on, the Wild Eagle reached for the trigger... "Say goodbye, little lady."

"Little lady?" Pierce replied, shocked and blushing. No sooner than the words had left her mouth, she found herself spiraling out of control to the earth below. Her ejection system launched her into the clear blue of the sky, and the Raynos soared past, as if it were strutting proudly in all its glory.

"See you next time, little lady!"

__________

Pierce screamed as she rose from her covers instantly. Her breaths were short but forced. The battle had ended four days ago, but the replay had consumed her mental being entirely. It was all she could think about, and she found herself gripping the covers tightly. A bead of cold sweat trickled down her forehead. Losing was something that she hated passionately, but there was something else on her mind. Climbing out of bed, she inched her way to her alarm clock.

"Four thirty?" The alarm wasn't set to go off until six, so she knew sleep would not calm her nerves. Walking over to the dresser, she reached for her brush, stroking her delicate, long, green hair. She was wearing a simple, white nightgown. Her thoughts now turned to the pilot himself. "Cocky little bastard... I'll show him," she growled. "...but he was kind of cute." She did not notice that a smile had taken shape on her lips and continued talking.

"He had a confidence, an air to him that made me feel like I was challenging the king of the skies..." Looking into the mirror, she gasped to see herself drooling over the guy who defeated her and slammed the brush down, retreating to her bedside. She sat with a look of anxiety on her face.

"Is this why I lost? Because I was thinking of him in such a way? No, that's not it. He beat me with pure skill. I was completely focused." Her realization unnerved her even more, and she found herself more attracted to him because of it. She dropped the subject and prepared for the upcoming day. Returning to the dresser, she removed her warrior's attire, the usual red jacket and black, baggy pants. Along with that, she took out a simple, yet sexy black bikini. She planned to relax near the hot springs today, as the Backdraft Commission had given her temporary leave...

"You can't work in the state you're in. Take a few days to get yourself together. We'll pay for the accommodations."

"But, but sir!"

"That's an order! We know you're eager to get revenge, but you're not thinking straight. You've been daydreaming the whole time and it won't help the next time that you go up against the Raynos pilot. Besides, why would you turn down a free vacation?"

"I understand, sir... wait a second. You mean I'll be fighting him again soon?"

"Don't worry yourself with that right now. All you need to know is that the details are being worked out. Just be ready to go when we call."

"Yes sir!"

...The idea of an attempt at redemption amused her. She felt relief and returned to preparing for a day of fun in the sun. Walking to the shower, she giggled to herself about the idea of flaunting her extremely attractive features. "Maybe I'll see him there..."

__________

Jamie sat at the computer, developing new strategies for any upcoming battles. It wasn't that he was cautious or anything. The work simply helped him to relax his mind, and he had a lot on his mind...

"Great job, Wild Eagle!"

"Yeah, you did great out there."

"Huh? Guys, did we win?"

"What? Of course we won! Don't you remember, Wild Eagle?"

"No, I don't remember! And why are you guys calling me that?"

... The words echoed in his mind. He didn't know what his teammates were talking about, nor did he know why they insisted on calling him by his father's name. He remembered blacking out, only to wake up back at the base.

"What the hell were they talking about? I'm no Wild Eagle. I can't even break the sound barrier! Arghhh! I wish I knew what was going on!" Jamie returned to typing, but was startled when a voice crept in his ears.

**_/Do you really wanna know?/_****__**

Jamie screamed.

"Who said that?"

**_/I did./ _**Jamie looked around the room, full of anticipation. He still could not locate the voice.

"Who are you?"

**_/I am you./_****__**

"Oh, okay-- Hey! That made no sense at all!"

There was a knock at the door. Jamie screamed, then froze. Only Bit could knock on a door in such an annoying way. 

"Are you okay in there, Jamie?" He sounded like he was half-sleep, which really didn't matter anyway. Jamie could outsmart him when he was at his sharpest. Jamie managed to gather his thoughts and finally spoke.

"Y-yeah! I'm fine," Jamie stuttered.

"You sure? It sounds like you're talking to yourself in there."

**_~Talking to myself?~ _**thought Jamie. It then dawned on him what could have happened. "I'm fine, Bit. You don't have to worry, really!" He heard Bit stretch and yawn from outside. "Whatever... I'm going back to bed."

"Oh, no you don't, Bit Cloud!" Hearing Bit scream, Jamie didn't even have to guess who else was on the other side of the door. "You stole my cookie!"

"Honest. Leena, I didn't steal anything!"

"Oh, no? Why are those cookie crumbs on your face?"

"I, uh... I-I j-j-just rem-em-embered s-s-something... Bye!" he said abruptly and started off. Jamie knew the sound of a stampede behind him was obviously his aggressor. **_/More like his assailant,/ _**countered the voice in his mind. The two trains of thought waited twenty seconds, staring at the door as they overheard Leena chase Bit back and forth. Jamie finally sweat dropped when a Bit-sized dent hit the reinforced doors, releasing a metallic clank and a girlish whine from Bit. The sound of Leena walking off could not be mistaken as her well-known maniacal laughter died down slowly until they could hear nothing. Bit finally fell from the mold in the door, which was evident in the thud that Jamie heard.

/Well, now that that's out of the way,/ the voice continued, /allow me to introduce myself. They call me the Wild Eagle./

"So you're the reason they were acting so strange. You won the battle?"

**_/Not me-- us. If it weren't for you blacking out, I would've never awakened./_****__**

"So how can you talk to me if I need to be unconscious?"

/You don't get it. I awakened when you blacked out. Your subconscious said you needed me, so I was born. I'm the courageous pilot part of you, that part you still haven't learned to tap into./

"So are you gonna be in my head forever?"

/No. I'm gonna stay until you can tap into the pilot in you at will. It's a shame though. You missed a good fight and that babe I shot down was good, too, if ya know what I mean./

"Babe? What babe?" Jamie's eyes lit up. Lately, the only faces of girls that he saw were Leena and Naomi, and while they were quite attractive in their own rights-- Naomi with her laid-back attitude and Leena with her forward and aggressive personality, not to mention their features-- it just really didn't click with him. Besides, they were working their charms on Brad and Bit.

/She's the one that shot you down. I think she likes you, though, or at least that confident pilot side of you./

"Oh..." Jamie replied dejectedly. **_~So she might only like me because of you.~_**

/Don't be like that. She likes us, the whole package. My job is to help us unite, so she likes -us-. In the meantime, leave everything to me. I'll help you meet her, get her, and then, you're on your own, got it?/

"All right. Does she really look that good?"

**_/I'm made from your interests. Would I ever lie to you?/_****__**

This is my first chapter, so be gentle, be brutal, I don't care. I live for responses, and that's all that matters, so respond. I'd tell you what happens next, but if you watch the show, you can guess at least as far as around what the next chapter has to offer. If not, cliffhangers are a bitch, ne?  Peace! Assalaamu 'Alaikam!

-Yusef "The B.A.T." Pittman


	2. Don't Get Mad, Get Even

" " is obviously spoken dialogue

**_/ / _**is Wild Eagle's thoughts.

**_~ ~ _**is for Jamie and Pierce's thoughts

*Disclaimers- I tried attacking the organizations that own Zoids with the Liger Zero Panzer, and they handled me like an ally to Osama bin Laden! You know what happened after that (poor Liger)… Anyways, they decided to let me off easy as long as I promised to write this disclaimer from now on. I do not own Zoids in any way. Should anyone accuse me of otherwise, I'll see you in court, or we can duel Zoids-style (Liger just needs a **_lot _**of repairs). After that being said, sit back, relax, read, sure as hell respond, enjoy!

Chapter 2-  …DON'T GET MAD, GET EVEN

                "Hey guys, I got us another battle with Layon."

                "You really shouldn't go around making decisions without our consent, Doc."

                "Yeah! We're still recovering from the last time we battled him!" It was quite apparent that the males of the Blitz Team, particularly Bit and Brad, were against Dr. Tauros' impulsive decisions. Tauros, always being the calm, manipulative man that he is, soon turned the tide, winning the favor of his assembled team.

                "You know, guys, there's a larger share of money for this battle. Besides, we get to spend some time at that famous hot springs resort up in the mountains!" As usual, Brad nodded, more so over the money aspect, and Bit would have still objected, but Leena joined her father in drooling over the idea of the resort, so he was forced to suppress his protest. Jamie was half-aware of what was going on. **_~All this for a few hot springs?~_**

                **_/ Lighten up! This is our chance to meet some total babes! / _**It was clear that Wild Eagle had no objections whatsoever to going and Jamie finally let out a sigh of defeat.

                **_~Are girls all you think about?~_**

                **_/ No… Like Brad, I think about money, and I also think about ruling the skies with the invincible Raynos! But for now… yeah, girls… / _**Jamie sighed again and looked up to the ceiling.

                "Why do I even bother?"

                "Huh, what was that Jamie?" Leena broke Jamie's concentration, startling him and causing him to yell in his squeaky tone. 

                "N-nothing. Just wondering why we have to go to some hot springs for a battle. Something's up. I'm sure of it."

                "Relax! C'mon! It'll be fun," teased Leena, holding Jamie in a headlock and giving him countless noogies. Her strength left him somewhat short of breath and he tried desperately to squirm away. **_/ C'mon! It'll be fun! / _**mocked the Wild Eagle. **_/ Or are you just too shy to go meet some beautiful women?/  _**Jamie, still squirming, replied in his mind. **_~…shut up…~_**

___________

Pierce, already up, was sipping on tea and looking outside her window to the long boardwalk and the shore. "I wonder what's going to happen today." Being that her usual occupation of Zoids pilot was not filled in on her to-do list, she was a little edgy. Pierce let out a sigh, a simple smile appearing on her face as she looked down into the steamy mug. "Guess I'll just relax and soak some rays." She got up as she heard her portable com-link beep, walking over to answer the call. "Who is it?"

"Hey, it's Stoler." The bold-faced pilot of the Elephandor had decided to check on his comrade.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing. Just wondering how your little vacation's going. After all, it is **_you _**who's taking a vacation. I never thought that would happen!" Stoler let out a mild chuckle. Pierce simply smiled, acknowledging the truth behind his statement. Whether it had been because she was so caught up in her work or simply because piloting airborne Zoids was her passion, she had not had a vacation in ages. Her attire clearly showed that she needed to unwind. After all, her most common wardrobe was her work uniform, which was the baggy pilot's pants and red jacket, despite her closet being full of more casual wear.

"Nice to see you, too. In any case, my vacation is going well, but I can't wait to get back up in the air."

"Same old Pierce." Stoler smiled and then continued talking. "So what ya' doing?"

"Just finishing my breakfast. I'm looking forward to going out today."

"Oh? And where would you be going out?" he inquired.

"Oh, nowhere in particular. Just… out."

"That's a change in routine for you. You've practically been living on the base. Now that you don't have that 'I'm always working' excuse to hide behind, does that mean you'll finally go out with me?" Pierce simply chuckled at Stoler's invitation.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not looking for dates or relationships right now." She did not notice his temporary look of rejection. She was lying to herself, as there was one person she was interested in. **_~That Raynos pilot… who was he? He called himself the Wild Eagle.~_**

"Hello? You still there?" interrupted Stoler. He liked Pierce, but didn't really let her rejections get him down. He was content with their friendly and professional basis. Pierce gathered her thoughts and composure, simply nodding. "What's on your mind? You seem a little distracted."

"Just thinking about that Raynos pilot, that's all."

"Don't worry! You'll get him back soon enough! Besides, this is your break! Stop thinking about work and relax!" Pierce couldn't help but continue thinking. ~That's not what I meant…~ Stoler decided to change the subject, gaining interest in the clothing bag he saw in the background on Pierce's bed.

"You're going to the beach?"

"Yeah, why?"

"In **_that_**? Most women wear bikinis, not pilot attire." Pierce blushed. However, she decided to go along.

"It just so happens that I have a bikini in my bag."

"Yeah, right. So what's this so-called bikini look like?" Pierce decided to humor the skeptical Stoler.

"Oh, nothing much. A simple, sexy little black bikini. It's a two-piece, showing off my already radiant skin-tone and cute belly button. It gives focus to my cleavage and thighs, but that's about it. I gotta go." Pierce was preparing to shut off the com-link, smiling victoriously as she cut off a screaming Stoler, his face lit up like a full-blown thermometer.

"What? Hey wait a second Pie--" The room's peaceful tone returning, Pierce walked back to her seat, resuming sipping on her tea, which had long since cooled.

____________

                In the Hover Cargo, Jamie sat sighing at the breakfast table. He was glad that it wasn't his turn to cook breakfast, and his eager teammates, Bit and Leena, joined by Tauros, chanted "Feed me! Feed me!" over and over again, edging on Brad, who cursed to himself about having to cook.  

                "You know, that really is annoying guys!" Jamie said, trying to aid his teammate because he knew the feeling all too well. Bit stopped to answer the sensible team member.

                "Yeah, we know! That's why we do it!"

                "Yeah! I mean, if it's bothering you, just hurry up and cook for us! It's not that hard," added Leena. Jamie sighed, looking over to Brad with a facial expression full of apology. Brad simply nodded, continuing to labor in the kitchen.

                **_/ You know, if you really want to show how it feels, why don't you and Brad do the same thing when Bit or Leena have to cook? / _**Jamie grinned devilishly at his counterpart's suggestion. **_~That's not a bad idea…~_** Bit and Leena were too busy chanting to notice. Brad muttered something about not being paid enough for this as food and pans clattered to the kitchen floor.

                After breakfast, which was more than worth the harsh efforts of the team's mercenary (every great team's gotta have one), Dr. Tauros made a keen observation.

                "Hey guys! We're here!" Bit and Leena stampeded out the Hover Cargo, anxious to try their luck at the water jets, a calm Brad walking behind with his hands on the back of his head. Tauros took the opportunity to mischievously play with his Zoids action figures before joining Brad in the hot springs. Seeing that no one was around to notice, Jamie spoke out loud.

                "Well, I'm going off to hover board in the hills."

                **_/ Aww… we'll never see any girls like that. Make it quick, okay? /_**A large drop of sweat came down Jamie's forehead.

                "Right…"

_____________

                Pierce sat coolly at her boardwalk table, sipping on equally cool lemonade and staring off into the ocean at the seaward activities. She was sporting a nice pair of sunglasses. A smile on her face, she removed her bracelet from her wrist and placed it on the table. She noticed a huge splash in the distance and her eyes lit up at who rode around it. **_~Isn't that the red-haired girl from the Blitz Team?~_** Her smile grew wider with a sense of anticipation when she realized that her day might actually be a little exciting after all. **_~That pilot definitely has to be around here somewhere…~_**

                Crossing her legs, she brought her body to an upright position, continuing to sip her lemonade. She remained so for a few minutes until her glass was empty. The waiter walked past, preparing to refill the glass, but she signaled that she didn't want anymore. "That won't be necessary," replied Pierce, as she turned and bent over to get the money for payment and tip. The waiter, who didn't have any trouble noticing her beauty, blushed furiously, due to the view that he had gotten. He tried his hardest to regain professional posture and to remove the burning sensation on his face, and succeeded just as the green-haired beauty turned. As she handed him the payment, she smiled, causing him to sweat nervously.

                "Have a nice day," she stated, watching confusedly as he walked off, unable to shake the awkwardness of the meeting. "What's wrong with him?" she said to herself, as she returned to her cross-legged position. Soon afterward, someone brushed against her arm as he walked past, turning to apologize to her. He was holding two cones with three-layers of ice cream each.

                "I'm sorry… hey, I just can't help feeling that I've seen you somewhere before," he murmured. Taking off her shades, she looked up into his large green eyes and smiled.

                "Bit Cloud…" 

_____________

                **_/ That was fun and all, but can we _**_please **go babe-hunting now? /**_

                "All right, all right! Fine! We'll go--"

                **_/ Hold it! That's her! / _**interrupted the bold half of Jamie.

                "Who's her?"

                **_/ The girl over there with Bit. / _**Jamie stared in awe, unable to believe how beautiful she actually looked. **_~Wow, you were right.~_**

                **_/ Told you. /_**

                **_~She's the one who shot me down?~_**

                **_/ Yep, she's the one. /_**

                **_~Even so, we can't just go over to talk to her. What if she thinks of me as nothing but an enemy?~_** Jamie thought as hard as he could to find excuses not to go over and greet her. Wild Eagle was growing annoyed. **_/ She's talking to Bit, for God's sake! If she likes him, she's gotta love you! /_** Jamie laughed. "You're right."

                **_/ So are you. We can't just walk over to her in what you're wearing. Hurry up and change into your swim shorts! / _**

                Immediately returning from the Hover Cargo, Jamie arrived just in time to see Pierce turning from Bit. Behind Bit, about ten feet away stood, Leena, glaring coldly. ~Uh! Oh! Leena looks pissed,~ thought Jamie. Wild Eagle decided to explain.

                **_/ Why not? He's supposed be bringing her ice cream from the looks of it, and she catches him flirting with some beautiful girl he doesn't even know. She's got every right to be jealous. /_**

                **_~WHAAAT! You mean Leena _**_likes **Bit?~**_

                **_/ Oh, for crying out-- c'mon! It's so obvious! I mean, think about it! /_**

                **_~I guess you're right, now that I think about it… Oh! No! She's coming our way!~_**

                / Relax… it was me she heard in battle, so I'll take care of the details. She'll practically be at your feet when I'm through. /

                "A-all right," concluded Jamie, still unsure of whether he should trust his subconscious half. He stifled a laugh when Leena purposely jumped up behind Bit, causing him to drop her ice cream cones and then yelling at him like it was entirely his fault. Before he knew it, however, Wild Eagle had fully taken over to do all the talking.

_____________

                Pierce walked away from Bit, leaving him confused after she had touched his chest. **_~I sure hope that other pilot was watching.~_**  She giggled to herself.  **_~I sure hope I made him jealous.~  _**She continued walking, and as she reached a turn, Jamie, under the possession of his more confident half, walked into her purposely, intent on striking a conversation.

                **_~That's him!~_**

                "My bad… say, you're that Backdraft pilot. I didn't catch your name." Pierce, caught off guard by this unexpected encounter and more so by his forwardness in greeting am enemy struggled to answer.

                "It's-- it's Pierce."

                "Pierce… I see. It suits you." She blushed at his compliment, but it wasn't very noticeable.

                "Thanks. So uh, what's your name?" countered Pierce, surprised that she was now the one feeling awkward after her encounter with Bit. She was really amazed and intrigued at the Wild Eagle's confident ambience, even though it kind of made her nervous. He moved melodramatically, stretching and sighing as he turned his back.

                "Wild Eagle's what they call me," he said. Turning his head around to Pierce, he added, "but you can call me Jamie." Pierce smiled. ~Smooth. Real smooth.~

                "So uh, Jamie… why are you being so nice? I **_am _**your sworn enemy, as Bit put it."

                "Well, if you talked to a lost soul like Bit, you can't be all that bad, now can you?" Pierce laughed at his answer.

                "I don't know about that, but I guess you're right."

                "Besides, can't there be respect and honor amongst good pilots? I admire your skill, and you can't hurt me here, anyway, so there ain't much reason to be afraid, ya know?" Pierce simply nodded. **_~I might have a chance with him after all…~ _**The Wild Eagle continued. "Anyways, I thought you almost had me when you knocked me out of the air all of a sudden." He smiled when he noticed her smile.

                "So did I. That was amazing piloting you did back there. I don't know how you pulled out of that fall." Pierce looked to the Wild Eagle for an answer. He just shrugged and laughed nervously. 

                "Something must've possessed me. It was instinct, I guess. In any case, I wanted to let you know I like your skill, among other things," he said, looking her up and watching as she blushed. Smooth as ever, he continued before she could get a chance to respond. "Look, I gotta go, see you some other time, little lady." He smiled again as he noticed her blush deeper.

                "Please, stop calling me that. What's it gonna take for you to stop with that name?"

                "You gotta beat me in combat."

                "Fine, then I'll catch you in the air."

                "Whatever, little lady," he said, laughing as he walked off. She sighed, and smiled to the heavens. **_~Wow… that went pretty well.~_**

______________

                "See, I told you that it'd go well," said the Wild Eagle.

                **_~Yeah, but I'm confused… Wasn't she just flirting with Bit?~_**

                "Did you see the way she acted? It meant nothing! She was just messing with his mind, probably to mess with your mind."

                **_~Wadda ya mean?~_** Jamie asked innocently. The Wild Eagle smirked evilly.

                "You're jealous, aren't you?"

                **_~Wh-what? That's crazy!~_**

                "Whatever. In any case, she's in my hands like butter. I've got her guessing at every turn of the way. You two will be an item in no time. Let's head back to the Hover Cargo. We need to discuss plans for our upcoming battle."

                **_~Uh… just one thing…~_**

                "Yes, what is it?"

                **_~GIVE ME BACK MY BODY!~ _**The Wild Eagle sweatdropped, and reluctantly returned  Jamie's mind to his body. The two headed back to the base.

____________

Pierce was already on her way to the Backdraft base, already changed and ready to go after a call from her com-link. ~Finally, back to work!~

Arriving there, she saw several of her comrades ready and waiting for their mission orders. Among them were Major Polta, the man wearing strange purple shades, who had recently designed a cloaking device, and a pair of twin pilots, unknown to her. They were more than likely support for the mission. One of the major figure of the Backdraft Corporation appeared before them, and they offered him their salutes.

"Greetings. I'm sure you all are wondering why I've brought you here. We have a new addition to our organization." A familiar looking man, dressed in a black trench coat, stepped forward. "I would like you to meet Dr. Layon. He will head our next unsanctioned battle. He has devised a method that I am sure you will all find useful in the defeat of the Blitz Team and the acquisition of the Liger Zero. Dr. Layon?" said the man, diverting the attention over to the technological genius.

"Come with me. I am sure you'll find my latest works more than satisfactory." Walking down the short corridor, their guest led them to four incredible sights.

"Those are Stormsworders…" noted Pierce, observing the breathtaking spectacle that there were actually four of these Zoids in possession of the Backdraft. She smiled. **_~You'll call me Pierce yet, Wild Eagle…~_**

___________

                The battle was fierce, and the Blitz Team was losing. The Stormsworders dominated the skies, and they caused the earth to heed their power. All of these fast Zoids were too much for Leena's Gun Sniper. A Wild Weasel Unit Total Assault would never work. Brad's Command Wolf was naturally a sitting duck. It was all Bit's Jager could do to keep from being blasted, not to mention that the Stormsworders that were equipped for ground combat repeatedly attempted to barrage the Hover Cargo. 

The only one having any luck was the Raynos, piloted by none other than the Wild Eagle. He had just managed to take out one, watching as Brad caught another off guard. With two down, he turned his attention back to the Command Wolf, targeting the third one that put his comrade out of commission.

                Locking on, there was no doubt that he shot it down. He was about to celebrate, but his glory was cut short when the final Stormsworder tailed him. He was brought back to reality after a couple shots rocked his Zoid's hull. He decided to take evasive action, maneuvering to the fullest of his abilities, looping, spiraling, playing chicken, but none of his tactics would work. Kicking it up a notch, he was once again surprised to see that his aggressor was able to break the sound barrier as well. **_/ Wow! This one's tough! /_**

                "Give it up! You can't shake me and you know it," taunted the all-too-familiar voice of Pierce.

                "You again?" The reluctant pilot continued to struggle for a short while longer, looking for help from his teammates, who could not aid him in his mach 3 battle, and Pierce smiled, knowing that she had won.

                "Say goodbye…" in less than a second, the shot sounded, firing missiles that overwhelmed the Raynos, and it fell to the earth, ultimately defeated. Wild Eagle returned mental control to Jamie, too upset at his loss, and Jamie dragged his way back, disappointed in the upset, but not so much as his mental partner. He arrived back at the Hover Cargo and entered the control room.

                "Sorry I got shot down so soon, Doc," he said, every ounce of his voice oozing the apology and guilt he felt inside. Tauros, issuing him a sign telling him that he wasn't at fault returned to watching the dark-looking battle. Wild Eagle then thought of something. / Hey! I've got a way to win this thing! /

                **_~But how? We've lost the Raynos.~_**

                **_/ So? The only thing we need is the Gun Sniper. I sorta got a sensational rush when I took off on the magnetic catapult. It is magnetic, isn't it? /_**

                **_~Yeah… so what are you getting-- oh… I get it! If we give the GS a super-charge…~_**

                "Hey Doc! I've got a plan!"

**_                / Yeah, sure! Take all the credit! /_**

**_                ~Shut up…~_**

                "Get Leena on the com-link, now!" After informing Leena to return to base, Tauros asked Bit to stall for a while longer. Stalling wasn't even looking so good, let alone fighting back. There was no way that Liger was able to avoid the sonic booms that sounded every time the remaining Stormsworder moved overhead. Eventually, Bit got tired, and challenged Pierce to fight him. Pierce, torn between Layon's orders and Bit's challenge could not make up her mind on attacking the Jager or the Hover Cargo. She then recalled what Wild Eagle told her the other day.

                "…can't there be respect and honor amongst good pilots…" She made up her mind. **_~I may not use conventional rules but I do want to be known as respectable and honorable, not as some cheap criminal who will do anything to win. Maybe fighting Bit will help them see that the Backdraft isn't as bad as they say it is.~ _**Turning to fight and ignoring all complaints by Layon, she continued to barrage Bit with sonic booms. Bit grew tired of stalling this way and decided to attack head on. Turning to charge her, Jager charged forward at full speed. Pierce fired two missiles, but was surprised to find the Jager leaping over the two and using Strike Laser Claw while in mid-air. Slightly scratching her hull. She dismissed the stunt as raw luck, and proceeded to turn, but the fireworks in the distance silenced her. Fully charged with magnetic energy, the Gun Sniper fired its missiles in full blast.

                Pierce tried to escape, but the missiles were too attracted to her hull, and she ended up being shot down. Listening in on the conversation from the hull of the Hover Cargo, she overheard everyone's praise for Jamie, and smiled when she found out that he had planned this defeat.

                "Even when I get you, you still get me. You **_are_** my rival, maybe even something more…"

______________

                Jamie had decided to get some scuba diving in. Swimming around in the bay area, he was surprised when a small bracelet hit his head. Swimming to the surface, he saw Bit walking away in the distance. He tried to call out, but he was surprised when he looked down to notice the name etched on the bracelet: 

                '**PIERCE**'

                After returning to the Hover Cargo, everyone anxiously awaited their turn to look at e-mails that had accumulated over their stay. Bit and Leena snarled at each other, while Brad waited calmly for the two to finish their turns. When both left, depressed to find no mail for them, Brad stepped up. He was rather disturbed to find about fifteen consecutive messages, all from one Naomi Fluegel. He was happy to know she liked him so much, but the amount of messages, all very long, gave him quite a headache. Leaving to find some aspirin and to discuss his pay, Jamie was left with the computer all to himself.

                He instantly checked his e-mail, surprised to only find one message. Opening it, he smiled when he saw from whom it had come. The message read:

                "You truly are an impressive Zoids warrior, Wild Eagle. You continue to amaze me on and off the field. Never have I met someone as intriguing and cunning as you. I really look forward to meeting you in the sky and on the ground in the future. I'm on suspended leave because I failed to follow orders, but I have no regrets. Thanks, with love, your Little Lady."

                Jamie looked down further to see a phone number in the postscript and in big letters, 'CALL ME.' He proceeded to write his own letter. It read:

                "I appreciate you as much as you appreciate me. You give me someone to look forward to outside of the Zoids world, and it ironically is the Zoids that brought us together. Don't thank me on my latest strategy, though. It belittles the feat you've accomplished, so let's just say it's a tie. You beat me. I beat you. I didn't shoot you down the second time, Leena did. I want to see you as much as you want to see me, and I too hope we'll see each other again, which we probably will. I mean, you're in the Backdraft, c'mon! Anyway, I'd like to go out with you sometime since you're officially off duty. Peace! From the heart, Jamie." He played with that thought for a second.

                "From the heart… I wrote this, not Wild Eagle." Continuing to type, he wrote in his postscript:

                "You truly are a beautiful, impressive lady… Pierce."


	3. Birds of a Feather

Chapter 3- BIRDS OF A FEATHER…

                Pierce lay on her sofa, reading a novel that she had recently purchased. She was once again in her nightgown, and her hair was tied in a ponytail. Ever since she had been indefinitely relieved of her duties, she had plenty of time to relax on her own, doing what she liked. In contrast to going out to the beach and movies and such, she would rather relax at home, alone with a sense of omniscience and freedom. Staying home for such a long time didn't upset her anyway. Besides, the Backdraft Commission had allowed her to keep her Zabat and Stormsworder simply because it had been Layon's orders to attack the Hover Cargo. The authority at the head of the commission had ordered her to fight the Liger Zero, and she probably would not have gotten off so easily had she defied him instead. To be truthful, the only reason for her suspension was that she had lost the battle, on which major bets from the Backdraft's high-ranking officials had been placed.

                Normally, reading novels was one of her favorite past times, but she was bored out of her mind this time. She was expecting a phone call from someone. Anxiety had gripped her tightly within its powerful coils, and a lingering sense of anticipation loomed in the air, more so, the entire house. ~Why the hell hasn't he called? I left him my number. Does he enjoy making me wait?~ She was well aware that he had a tendency to play mind games with her, something that really aggravated her. But something told her that this kind of annoyance was nothing of his nature. ~He couldn't be doing this on purpose. Not after he sent me such a beautiful e-mail response. I'm sure there must be a problem.~ She decided to leave out for a run in her Stormsworder. She was actually quite surprised that Layon had let her keep it. He went on rambling about something involving Tauros' pure evil being too powerful for even the Stormsworder and ultimately deemed it worthless. Since no one was really around to see her, she didn't bother with getting dressed and flew off in her newest ally.

                Back in the house, her computer screen lit up, flashing the sign that let her know there was mail to be read. Further still, the name from which the e-mail had been sent was Jamie, the Wild Eagle.

____________

                Jamie paced back and forth in his room, anxious as ever and worried that he had screwed everything up. He was new at this: trying to impress girls and the like. Sure, his father, Oscar, could have spent plenty time giving him tips, but he had been working on the Tauros base and Hover Cargo ever since he was little, and really didn't think of doing much else.

                "I hope I didn't do anything wrong. Geez! How can I be so inexperienced at this?" Jamie continued walking, disturbed by the fact that his mental twin, who usually shot off at the mouth any other time, was remarkably quiet. He wanted the Wild Eagle to say something anything. To let him know not to worry: that he hadn't screwed anything up, that he could still fix things, hell, that he had screwed things up. 

Jamie continued pacing, reflecting over everything that he had done. He hadn't done anything to communicate with Pierce except--. ~Oh no! That e-mail I sent! How could I have been so stupid?~ Finally, the voice in his head from which he could not escape had answered him.

                / Ya got that right! That's gotta be the sappiest thing that I've ever seen in my life. 'I appreciate you as much as you appreciate me…' Oh brother! /

                "Shut up! What do you know? And why the hell didn't you say something sooner?"

                / Well, I figured that since you were doing such a good job of beating yourself down alone, why ruin the moment? Anyways, cheer up! It's not that bad. /

                "It's… not?"  Jamie stopped pacing.

                / Naw… of course not. For all you know, she could be into all that sappy stuff. You may have even made a good move, and it wasn't me that did it. You let her see the macho and soft side Jamie. /

                "Hey, you're right! Thanks, Wild Eagle!"

                "Jamie! Come watch TV with us! Don't brood in your room all night!" Bit's voice sounded through the entire facility. Jamie smiled and decided to go join his friends. As he left, he did not notice Dr. Tauros standing by the doorway, apparently eavesdropping on the entire one-sided conversation.

                "Wild Eagle, huh? Hmm…"

                Jamie entered the living room, where Leena was playfully wrestling with Bit and Brad was watching the latest information on Zoids battles. From Bit's perspective, however, it seemed more like Leena was practicing an attempt at homicide. She had his arms pinned down with her knees and was tightly choking him. Bit, having toughened up from countless Leena assaults, was still breathing, though most people would be blue in the face by now. Jamie laughed halfheartedly. ~Poor Bit. Guess I'm lucky Leena doesn't like me. Love must really hurt.~ Deciding to play it safe, Jamie walked over to Brad.

                "Hey, Jamie. What's up?

                "Nothing much. Just trying to clear my head."

                "Yeah, I know what you mean. Got a lot of stuff on my mind myself."

                "I hear you. About Naomi, right?" Brad cringed. Leena stopped choking Bit and looked up, determined to hear what was about to be said for however long it took. Bit took the opportunity to squirm from underneath her and move a reasonable and logically safe distance away, which Leena was too preoccupied to notice.

                "Yeah. One of her friends asked me if I thought she was cute. So she'd leave me alone, I said yes. Since then, Naomi's been trying to get a hold of me every chance she can." Leena was amused by Brad's apparent disposition.

                "Hah! Naomi's got a crush on you! When -are- you two gonna get together? The suspense is killing me. I should just call her up right now and set you two up on a date. Of course, I'd have to say it was all your idea!" Brad grew annoyed by Leena's tactless taunting.

                "CAN IT LEENA!" Brad exclaimed, blushing partly from anger and mostly from the truth that Leena played with indelicately. Bit decided to save the day, diverting Leena's attention.

                "Ah, you're just jealous that Brad doesn't like you! Besides, who would like being around a ranting monster anyway?" Bit backed away, preparing himself for the long run he was going to have. Leena turned and snarled.

                "What did you say?" she snapped eyes bulging in all her fury, a fury that the Berserk Fury, which the Blitz Team had neither battled nor heard of yet, could never match.

                "Well, that's it! Gotta go! Bye!" he finished, starting to run as fast as his legs could carry him. Leena blazed out the room, intent on continuing her choking session. Free to talk, Jamie and Brad sighed out of relief.

                "Hmm, I really should thank him. Maybe I'll give him a share of my prize money, a -small- share, but a share nonetheless. Anyways, what did ya want to talk about?"

                "Um, I gotta ask you, what do you know about girls?"

                "Uh, Jamie, apparently a lot. I mean, one -is- stalking me right now."

                "That's not what I meant. You see… there's this girl I like."  
                "Wow, that's a first. I never thought you'd have a crush on someone."  
                "Could you save your remarks until after I finish? This is kinda embarrassing." Brad stretched his arms, sprawling all over the couch.

                "Whatever. So what ya wanna know?" asked Brad. Jamie thought carefully and cautiously about his next couple of lines.

                "I just got done sending this beautiful girl some stupid message, and I'm positive she likes me, but I'm afraid I made an idiot outta myself." Jamie looked down to the floor, depressed over the whole thing.

                "You're worrying too much. If she really likes you, what you sent couldn't have been that bad, so don't worry about it. Things will work out in the end," Brad replied reassuringly. A voice crept up in the back of Jamie's head.

                / See, told ya so, but you wouldn't listen to me, would you? /

                Jamie, as usual, replied with a simple term.

                ~…shut up.~ He turned back to Brad, smiling and relieved. "Thanks. Hope the Naomi thing works out."

                "No biggie. Maybe if I ask her out, she'll stop being so aggressive. That scares me, especially after seeing Leena. That reminds me. How long -has- Bit been able to hold out?"

                "A minute and thirty seconds. Not bad! That's a new record for him."

                In the distance, the mighty roar of the Liger Zero echoed.

                "C'mon boy! Let's get outta here before it's too late!" cried Bit, as the sound of the Liger Zero pounded off into the silent beyond. Leena, weapons blazing, pursued mercilessly.

                "It s too late! You're not going anywhere." Brad and Jamie sweatdropped. In the main control room, Dr. Tauros was making a phone call.

                "Hello? Is this Dr. Kadowaki? I need your help on multiple personality disorders."

______________

                Pierce returned from her evening flight, calm as ever. Given a new sense of ease, she was finally able to relax without worrying about Jamie's reply. Her calmness soon became little more than a mere memory when she noticed her e-mail flashing. Running over hectically to the screen, she smiled to see Jamie's name on the message and clicked the screen as though her life could end at any moment. His message read:

                "Sorry I haven't been able to call you. It's just that things are a little too busy and I don't want the team finding out about who you are. I'll call you tomorrow. I know I can get to you then. In any case, do you want to go out? Friday sounds nice to me. 

-Jamie, the Wild Eagle"

                Pierce's eyes lit up, and she immediately went about her wardrobe, looking for something appropriate to wear two days in advance. She was surprised that she could be so worried over a date, especially when she didn't particularly care for them anyway. But this, this was definitely an exception. 

~How can one guy have me feeling this way? Honestly, Pierce, get yourself together or you'll screw the whole thing up.~ She backed away from the closet and decided that she would wait for him to call her.

______________

                Jamie was sound asleep. Being that he had been up all night trying to help Dr. Tauros and Brad pry Leena's teeth from Bit's jugular, he was worn out. The most memorable moment was when they realized that she had reached some degree of insanity and was imitating a lion's hunting methods (the jugular bite in the neck), and when she shouted "I AM LEENA! HEAR ME ROAR!" unleashing a roar that apparently caused the Liger Zero to shiver in the garage. As one can see, it was a very exhausting night.

                / All right, rise and shine. We got work to do. / Jamie was not conscious, however, the subconscious of Jamie's consciousness had yet to become unconscious. / Get up! / Jamie dragged himself to his feet, groggily rubbing his eyes and managing a rather long yawn. He stretched and walked over to the mirror. 

                "What time is it?" he asked in a whiny tired tone, scratching his head and trying his hardest to stay awake, at least long enough to drag himself back into bed.

                / Geez, you guys sleep late! Do you wanna call Pierce or not? /

                "I said what time is it?"

                / You're awfully cranky in the morning. In any case, how the hell would I know? I can only see what you see! / Jamie couldn't think of anything to say after this and went to check the alarm clock, despite him having yet to become fully coherent.

                "7:30 A.M.? I'm going back to bed…" Jamie yawned again. As he turned back to the bed, however, a shout in his head brought him back to reality.

                / Idiot! Are you purposely trying to screw this date up with Pierce? Get up, now! /

                "How do you know she'll be up this early?"

                / How do you know she won't? Take every chance you get to call her. Besides, she's a Backdraft pilot. I'm sure she's used to getting up this early anyway. /

                "You got a point there."

                Jamie washed his face in the bathroom sink, ultimately heading to the phone. Wild Eagle took over the proceedings, as usual. Dialing the number, he waited patiently for the receiver to pick up on the other end.

                "Hello?"

                "Hey, Pierce. It's the Wild Eagle."

                "Hey, what's up?"

                "Just wanted to know if you wanted to go out on Friday."

                "Hmm… let me think about that for a second."

                "What's to think about? You don't have anything else to do." He heard hesitation on the opposite end. / Heh heh! Who do you think you're trying to fool? / following the long pause was a nervous chuckle.

                "Wadda ya know? Guess you were right. Friday, right?"

                "Yep."

                "Well, since you know so much, what should I wear?"

                "Just some casual clothes, you know. I mean, it's just a date."

                "All right, see ya!" Pierce said, hanging up. Wild Eagle just sighed, a smile taking form on the curves of his lips.

                "Well, glad that the hardest part's over. Aren't you glad you listened to me?" he asked. Jamie simply replied his usual remark. ~…shut up.~

                The day dragged on slowly, the two sides of the same pilot bored out of their minds. Jamie tried occupying his mind with the chores to do that day. He was even glad that it was his turn to cook, willing to ignore all of the chanting that Doc, Leena, and Bit continued to do. He was even amused how far Bit had decided to stay from Leena, reminded by the tooth marks on the side of his neck. He had been standing as far from Leena as possible for that entire day. Later on, he would find a hickey on his neck, and he would be forced to run again, chased by Leena who would pretend to be offended by "such an accusation." He was so busy running, he didn't even notice that Leena was blushing furiously, her face remaining red long after the comment. 

                / Told you that she likes him. /

                "…shut up."

                Finally, as late afternoon drew near, the two complementary minds were growing restless. Finally, Jamie decided that it was time to go.

                "Hey, Doc. I'm gonna go ride around in the Raynos for awhile. I'll be back in a few hours."

                "Why? Is something wrong?" Jamie laughed, obscuring all signs of nervousness and wiping the slight sweat away that appeared on his brow.

                "N-not at all. What makes you say that? Brad and Bit take their Zoids out all the time. Can't I do the same?" Finally able to talk his way out of the situation, Jamie hurried along to his green Zoid, determined not to encounter any more distractions. Up and out, the airborne Raynos flew off into the sunset. Doc stood in the garage, watching as it flew away.

                "I hope he's all right."

___________

                Pierce was completely ready to enjoy the night's events. Fully dressed and climbing into her Stormsworder, she waited patiently for a familiar sight to fly by, and fly by it did. Taking off, she followed in pursuit to catch up with Jamie, who had already converted to his other half. ~Glad he could make it.~

                "So what took you?" she asked, waiting for one of his usual sly remarks.

                "Nothing, just a little business with the Doc, that's all." The two flew to a nice restaurant, right on the outskirts of a small town, called "Ashley's." The couple climbed out of their rides, meeting each other in between the two high-flying vehicles. The Wild Eagle took the time to notice Pierce's attire. She wore tight black leather pants and a white tank-top underneath her black jacket, which was partially zipped up. He held his chin with two fingers from his right hand, thinking about what he would say about it. Obviously, he was very pleased with the attire. 

                "I'm definitely beginning to think that black is your color." Pierce blushed, caught off-guard and unsure of what to say. Smooth as always, Wild Eagle suavely slid up and took her by the arm. "Let's go inside, shall we?" At the door, the owner, Ashley Dugger, greeted them. She was rather short, a light-skinned black woman who wore braids, but she was rather attractive. She always welcomed fellow Zoids pilots, and she knew the Blitz Team very well.

                "Hey, Jamie. So who's your friend?"

                "What's up Ashley? This is Pierce. She's with me tonight, so could you make this a special occasion?"

                "Sure thing. She's quite the catch. Never thought you'd ever go on a date, though. Of all people…" Wild Eagle scratched his head. Pierce simply smiled. ~Never dated before, huh? I thought a charming guy like you had girls on each arm.~

Ashley escorted the two to their seats, a cozy little corner in the best section of the restaurant. There were other pilots scarcely scattered at the other tables, and a large group celebrating at one of the party tables. Wild Eagle decided to engage in some light conversation before the menus arrived.

                "How long have you been into flying Zoids?"

                "All my life. I used to watch my father fly in them all the time when I was little."

                "Yeah, my father was always flying, too. I guess that's why I like them so much now."

                "They truly are a remarkable creation."

                "Yeah… so why do you live in the middle of nowhere? Don't you ever want to see your family? Seems kinda lonely to me." Pierce froze, and the look on her face changed drastically.

                "My mother passed away when I was born, and my father… he died in the Backdraft's service. I'm all alone." Sensing discomfort in her voice, Wild Eagle looked at her apologetically. Pierce half-heartedly diverted his concerns, cheering up a little. "But don't worry about that. I lost most of my regrets a ling time ago, and I enjoy working and being with my friends, so I never feel lonely." Wild Eagle still wasn't convinced. He tried hard to think of something else to talk about. "Really! Don't worry," Pierce tried to say reassuringly.

"So uh, I was just wondering…"

                "What is it?"

                "What's I nice, beautiful girl like yourself doing working for the Backdraft?"

                "It's like I told you. I guess that when my father died, I wanted to follow in his footsteps as a pilot, specializing in flying Zoids. Some of his closest friends trained me and helped me improve my flying skills. They even said that I surpassed him as a pilot. But I guess a more practical reason would be what I told Bit the other day…"

                "And what would that be?"

                "I told him that I found unsanctioned battles interesting. I said that fair fights were just too simple for my skills and I decided that I needed little obstacles thrown in battle to spice things up. But since I fought you guys, I've realized that fair fights are just as interesting. Maybe I don't have that good a reason, but I do know I didn't become a warrior to harm people. Besides, a warrior should be able to handle all situations."

                "Yeah, I guess that if you look at it that way…" Wild Eagle was about to continue, but Ashley had interrupted when she distributed the menus. "Thanks, Ashley."

                "Just don't screw this date up."

                "Who, me?" replied Wild Eagle innocently. Ashley left the two alone to look over what they were going to order.

                "So what do you want for an appetizer?"

                "Just some garlic bread."

                "The breadsticks are good." From across the room, Ashley intervened, challenging, "All things at my restaurant are good!" Wild Eagle sweat dropped.

                "We'll have breadsticks and garlic bread then."

                "You said you wanted the 'special occasion.' I'll bring that dinner out then. Pierce, you're going to love it!" Pierce smiled as she watched Ashley head back into the kitchen. Turning back to her date, the two just stared into each other's eyes. / God she's beautiful, / thought Wild Eagle. In his mind, Jamie was stirring. ~Just don't screw this up.~ Wild Eagle replied with Jamie's words. / …shut up. /

                Pierce was completely entranced. ~Wow, I've never felt this way before.~ Her stare grew deeper, and Wild Eagle froze, a little surprised. Before he could speak, he found himself being pulled closer, locked into the gravitational attraction between to objects in space. Everything has an attraction with whatever's nearby, but as these two found their complete entities, their souls, pulling deeper and deeper, unable to resist the flow of attraction that had completely engulfed them, everything else seemed so insignificant, so… obsolete. They were within less than an inch of space between each other, eyes closed, neither wanting to ruin the moment, and just as their lips touched, the action was broke, completely shattered by some unruly yelling on the other side of the room.

                "Hey, baby! You're making a big mistake," shouted one of the men from the group at the party table. His tone was directed at Pierce.

                "You know, I should really teach that guy some manners…" muttered Wild Eagle. Pierce objected instantly.

                "No! Just ignore him. We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves tonight. Now where were we?" Pierce tried again, closing her eyes, and Wild Eagle, still a little torn between over what to do, closed his as well, restarting what had failed to be achieved just a few seconds earlier. By this time, however, the man and two of his friends, pushed on by the cheering of drunk men from the table, walked over to where the lovebirds were sitting.

                "Hey, baby! Didn't you hear me?" Pierce looked up, disgusted at what she observed. The man had a nasty skin tone, as well as ugly, dark-brown hair, and a smile that just screamed lecherous intent. She could smell the beer on his breath and scoffed. She tried to ignore his friends, who were just as disgusting, if not, more.

                "Hey pal, can't you see we're in the middle of something here?" growled Wild Eagle.

                "Yeah! I was about to stop this babe from making the biggest mistake of her life." He leaned in closer to Pierce, and as he spoke, the cloudy, bad smell of his breath made her eyes water, and she was forced to close them, as well as drown out the scent by holding her breath, which was also failing. It was so strong, she could taste it on the tip of her tongue, and she grew nauseous. "Why don't you ditch the loser?" Pierce stood up, ready to respond, with a smile on her face. The man being drunk, he actually thought she agreed.

                "Yeah. Let's ditch the loser. C'mon Jamie, let's go!" she snapped. The sounds of instigation made by the man's friends were not helping the situation, and he grabbed her by the arm.

                "Look, bitch! No one gets away with talking to me like that." Wild Eagle stood up. He had seen enough. He walked over and smacked the man's hand away.

                "Look man. You got something to say, say it to me," he challenged, ignoring all protests from Pierce.

                "C'mon Jamie, let's go. Don't let these creeps ruin our night. We can go somewhere else." Pierce really wasn't looking for a bar brawl. The man simply smiled.

                "Yeah, listen to the girl. Why don't you leave, you scrawny little punk!" Wild Eagle turned to leave, but turned right back around, swinging at the man. He fell flat on his back, his head snapping up from the recoil caused when it bounced off the floor. One of his friends pulled out a knife. Wild Eagle dodged the stab, grabbing his arm and flinging him onto the table, which broke from the impact. Finally, Wild Eagle walked away, the third friend tending to the other two. The man regained his senses, and sat up, threatening Wild Eagle.

                "You haven't heard the last from me! Nobody messes with the Jurassic Team Gang!" Pierce and Wild Eagle climbed into their Zoids and flew off at a regular speed. Not long after, they picked up a large amount of Zoids on their radars.

                "A gang? That's a frickin' army!" exclaimed Wild Eagle.

                "Looks like we're gonna have to fight 'em," Pierce said, disappointed that her whole evening had gone down the drain. ~Why didn't you just listen to me?~ From behind them swarmed over a hundred Zoids, consisting of Pteras, Iron Kong, Dark Horn, Sabre Tiger, and Gojulas types. The gang apparently consisted of more than the thirty or so men at Ashley's. "So many of them. We definitely don't have enough ammo for this."

                "So what? We'll use sonic boom tactics."

                "You sure that'll work?"

                "Right now, we don't have a choice. All I know is this: you and I are an invincible team!" Pierce was in awe of the power in his voice. She smiled and turned to her systems to engage in combat, joining her 'partner' in complete focus on the battle. The two broke the sound barrier together, flying side by side and soaring past the first wave, causing massive destruction to the Pteras squadron. "We're not letting you lightweights push us around. Bring it on!" cried Wild Eagle as he circled around to fire missiles into the fray, damaging several of the Sabre Tigers. His accuracy was dead on, yet the Iron Kongs and Dark Horns were little more than affected. "What? I didn't even scratch them!"

                "Jamie! Be careful! I've spotted about thirty Iron Kongs and three Gojulas out in the back, and they're packing plasma cannons!"

                "What? That's crazy! Even with our speed, we can't dodge a complete barrage of that kind of firepower. We're gonna get killed for sure!"

                "What're we gonna do?" Wild Eagle froze, nothing but terror consuming his mind. He heard fear in Pierce's voice, and knew very well that this may be their last battle. To keep morale up, he raised his spirits, taking command and leading the charge.

                "I'll tell you what I'm gonna do!  I'm willing to keep fighting. I'll make them remember the day they messed with the two of us! Besides," he began to continue with a more calm tone, "if I'm going to die tonight, I'm glad you were right here, fighting with me." Pierce's heart was pounding. She was confused on whether she should stay or walk away from all this. She couldn't figure him out. She was angry that he had caused this trouble to begin with, yet deeply moved by his words and found, somewhere deep inside her, the strength to continue fighting. "Let's go!" he charged, his voice rising to a full-blown yell as he blazed towards the enemy in a second assault. His sonic boom left several Dark Horns and Iron Kongs out of commission, causing explosions everywhere.

                "Hey there! Remember me?" sounded a voice, familiar to their ears from the night's proceedings.

                "It's you! What's the big idea, you drunk bastard!" screamed Wild Eagle, fuming at his aggressor, who apparently was piloting a Gojulas.

                "Now, now, it's rude to call people out of the name. I'm Tirano, and I told you that I'd make you two pay, so here I am, keeping my promise. Prepare to die! Plasma squadron, assemble!" The Irong Kongs and Gojulas lined up, firing squad position, preparing to fire their devastating barrage of powerful plasma beams.

                "Pierce! Hurry. If we get behind their line of fire before they shoot, we'll still have a good chance of making it out of here." The two immediately engaged their hyper thrusters, reaching mach 3 instantly. The cannons were just reaching critical mass and were ready to fire. Wild Eagle made it past just in time, however…

                "Too late for you, babe! Fire!" commanded Tirano, as every Zoid in the line let loose fierce blasts at the helpless Zoid. Pierce avoided all direct hits, but the resonance and resulting force from so many blasts was enough impact on her and drop her out of the sky.

                "Pierce!" Wild Eagle tried to fly over but when he was assaulted by a barrage of the normal firepower he realized it was hopeless. Trying to get in touch with her over the com-link, he was mortified and his face spawned a morose look to receive no answer. "How could I let that happen to her?" he sobbed, a tear escaping from his eye. His hands trembled, and his mind grew hazed with nothing but rage. He was about to charge with another sonic boom, not caring from this point whether or not he died, when suddenly, his system screen flashed. "Huh? Raynos, are you trying to show me an attack?" The screen read 'Whirlwind Fury' and Wild Eagle grabbed the controls again. "All right! Here goes!" He flew high into the air, so high that his enemies lost visual confirmation of him.

                "No matter, Prepare the cannons and fire straight into the air. Huh?" Wild Eagle dived back down, spiraling fiercely. The effect had created a huge tornado path around him, swirling as he dove closer in his speed, still breaking the sound barrier.

                "All right, you bastards! Here goes… Whiiiiiiirlwinnnnnnd Fuuuryyyy!" Just as he was about to hit the earth, he turned, blasting through the regular troops. The whirlwind hurled every Zoid high in the air, crashing them down in complete ruin. Zoids clashed together, exploding in mid-air. Those not close enough to be picked up were finished off by a resulting extremely powerful sonic boom. The Stormsworder was far enough away not to be affected by the impact. The Raynos soared high into the air again, Zoids still swirling around it and still engaged in Whirlwind Fury. He dove, but the Zoids armed with plasma cannons were not affected. They were too heavy to sustain damage. / Damn! / he thought. He attempted to try again, this time confident that he'd deliver a striking blow. Tirano signaled for the firing squad to unleash fire again.

                "I don't care if you hit any of our men! We can't afford to lose everybody! Fire!" The blasts were locked on, however, the tornado grew so powerful that the plasma blasts mixed and swirled, making a plasma tornado. Wild Eagle smirked as he dove down again.

                "And now for a taste of your own medicine. Whiiiiiiirlwinnnnnnd Fuuuryyyy!" He turned, blasting past the straight line of the firing squad. They were all caught in the plasma that surrounded the tornado, and one by one, each of them collapsed in rubble. After the Raynos settled and returned to normal flight speed, Wild eagle found himself breathing extremely hard. "Wow! An attack like that must take a lot out of a pilot! I almost forgot. I've gotta get Pierce home!" 

                "Jamie! That was amazing!" Pierce exclaimed. She had been unconscious for a few minutes, but had caught the Whirlwind Fury attack right as it was unleashed.

                "Are you all right? Can you fly?"

                "I'm fine, but my Zoid's too damaged to fly."

                "I'll carry you home then." The Raynos clamped onto the Stormsworder, giving it an airlift back to Pierce's home. As they landed, Pierce and Wild Eagle climbed out of their Zoids.

                "Shall we continue where we left off?" inquired Wild Eagle. Pierce was amazed that he'd even be asking for a kiss right now after ruining their date. Smirking, she played along. ~I'm gonna get you back.~

                "Sure…" Wild Eagle closed his eyes, awaiting the embrace that Pierce's ruby lips were supposedly about to give, but Jamie protested. ~You had so many chances tonight and you screwed them up. Besides, you're supposed to let me kiss her anyway!.~ Wild Eagle surrendered. / Okay, fine. You can kiss her this time. / Their minds switched. However, Jamie's victory was short-lived when Pierce punched him, knocking him to the ground.

                "Nice try, but don't expect a kiss from me when you've ruined our night. Of course, you're welcome to try again when you find a way to make it up to me." She walked into her house, leaving a bewildered Jamie on the ground, rubbing his red cheek. ~Oh, thanks a lot! You knew that was coming, didn't you?~

                / Not at all. It was just luck! Looks like she could've handled Tirano herself. But ya gotta admit. You gotta love her style! / Wild Eagle laughed in Jamie's mind. Jamie relied the usual way.

                "…shut up."

___________

                Pierce watched as Jamie climbed into the Raynos from her window. She wasn't really mad at him, but she didn't think he had the right to play everything off as though nothing happened. Sitting down in her chair, she thought, ~Maybe I was a little -too- hard on him. Hope I didn't hurt his feelings.~ She sat back and smiled.

                "Oh well, knowing him, he won't give up so easily." Outside, a man dressed in black took photos of the Raynos and Stormsworder.

                "What's Pierce doing fraternizing with enemy, especially someone from the Blitz Team? I'll have to report this to the Backdraft Commission.

___________

                Returning home, Jamie felt terrible from such a crumby evening. He had gotten into a bar fight, almost got killed, almost got Pierce killed, didn't get to eat, and to top it all off, what did he have to show for it? A punch and a very sore cheek, not to mention a subconscious that would never let him live it down.

He entered the garage, worn out and ready to climb right into bed. However, upon entering the living room, he was surprised to find Dr. Tauros sitting at the table drinking coffee. It was almost as if he had been planning on intercepting him the entire time.

                "Hey Doc," Jamie greeted, trying to take the tension out of the moment. The Doc turned to him and smiled.

                "Hey Jamie, or should I say, Wild Eagle?" replied the Doc. Jamie screamed. / Uh oh, man! You're busted! / 

                ~…shut up.~

___________

                Back where the battle had commenced, a sole hand emerged from the rubble of a Gojulas. Pulling himself out, Tirano looked off to survey the scene, watching for any survivors. He was relieved to see all of his men helping each other out of their totaled Zoids. None were dead, but many were injured, sometimes to critical extents. He stared off into space, a glare in his eyes.

                "This is far from over, Raynos pilot!"


	4. Lovebirds on the Battlefield

*Disclaimer- I do not own Zoids. It is copyrighted by whatever company, and I am only using this for entertainment purposes. (whispers over to Brad) How long before the invasion can begin?

Brad: Two weeks…

Me (A la Mr. Burns): Excellent…

Here goes…

Chapter 4:

LOVEBIRDS ON THE BATTLEFIELD

                The discussion had already begun. The table was filled with all of the head figures of the Backdraft organization. In the back of the room stood Stoler, Polta, and the members of the Fuma team. They were being briefed on their current mission during this discussion. A man stood in front, showing multiple images of two familiar Zoids. The entire room filled with gasps of shock.

                "As you can see, these are pictures of a Stormsworder, our Stormsworder, piloted by Pierce and she apparently is in collaboration with the Blitz Team's Raynos. You should all be very aware that the Blitz Team is our primary enemy, and that we should all be working to retrieve the Liger Zero, let alone the price for betrayal of the Backdraft Group."

                "Shouldn't we at least interrogate Pierce as to why she was seen with the Raynos pilot?" The entire room turned to face, Stoler, who was determined to see Pierce unharmed, trying to find any reason possible to avoid a punishment.

                "Lieutenant Stoler, please. Explain yourself."

                "Sir! I have reason to believe that Pierce may be using this as an infiltration method, a way to gather information and ultimately achieve our goal, which is the Liger Zero's theft. Pierce is the most loyal pilot to our cause that I know. She wouldn't do this without a good reason."

                "You may have a point, but keep in mind, lieutenant, Pierce is on indefinite suspension, due to a prior failure that I specifically warned her about. If she is doing this, it is against regulation. She should not be doing anything off duty for us, let alone without our consent or informing us. Do you consider that behavior normal for our 'loyal' pilot, lieutenant?" Stoler remained silent. He could not speak. "That's what I thought. The fact remains that she is breaking every code as she goes along on her little charade. Lieutenant Stoler, are you sure that this isn't out of personal feelings?" Stoler flinched, his fists clenching tightly as he struggled to keep his composure. His eyes were burning, almost to the point where tears would run freely. His entire face burned with fury. "If this is personal, I suggest that you keep it to yourself, lest you wish to drag yourself into Pierce's troubles. Your loyalty is to our cause, first and foremost. Do not forget that! That being said, let us discuss the punishment for these intolerable acts." 

He wanted to lash out at this man, who would disregard his dearest friend's integrity and morals at the drop of a hat, but he realized that at the moment, he would be helpless. He watched the discussion continue, his hopes shattered in seconds. Polta turned to him, patting him on the shoulder, giving little consolation to his comrade. "I know how you feel, but we are warriors first. You can't just defy the Backdraft. I wish there was something I could do. I've always respected Pierce, you know that." The room grew silent, as the head speaker drew his attention to the tall man, built with a husky frame, who had been arguing viciously with his fellow council.

"Dr. Layon, you seem to be the most concerned over the actions taken for the topic at hand. What do you have in mind?"

"She disobeyed my orders, sir. I want to see that she gets her just deserves for what she has done."

"Need I remind you that personal reasons are not what we came here to discuss? Our objective of capturing the Liger Zero is far more important than your little vendetta with Tauros." Layon smirked.

"Surely you do realize that without the Hover Cargo, the Liger would be a sitting duck anyway…" replied Layon, smiling over his comeback. He was always good at reversing perspectives, manipulating people to his views. How else could he have used the Tigers Team so cruelly? How else could he have convinced Tauros to fight him in the Aroch Mountains, where the Stormsworder battle had taken place?

"I'm listening…"

"You see, if she will be using our Stormsworder against us, she should be punished by me, because I was the one who gave her that Zoid. I say we capture her, destroy the Zoid, put her under heavy interrogation, which by your decision could be a fair trial, and if she is found guilty, I feel the punishment for such failure, betrayal, and insubordination," he continued, his tone rising with every accusation,  "should be death! She joined this group with an oath, and since then has learned far too many secrets about how we work! She can't just walk away, joining our enemies. It's far too risky. I won't stand for it!"

"Then it's settled. We will begin preparations for her capture tomorrow, at 0100 hours."

"Sir, there's more."

"What is it, doctor?"

"I have been watching her battle where she and the Raynos pilot have fought off the Jurassic Team Gang. Studying the Raynos, I've made several observations and concluded that this particular Raynos is not an ordinary Zoid…"

"Are you saying that it may be an Ultimate X?"

"No sir, I'm implying that it does have connections, though."

"Please, continue..."

"I've researched and found articles involving such similar actions as the Raynos had taken. While the Raynos lacks the endurance and natural offensive capabilities of an Ultimate X, the system installed is similar to the Organoid system installed in all Ultimate X Zoids. Whether it was meant to be a prototype or an accessory, I do not know. What I do know is, much like the Liger Zero, I feel it should be captured as well. That tornado attack it made at the last minute seemed to be more in response to when Pierce was shot down, so I'm sure it's services would be rather useful to our purposes."

"This is quite interesting, Layon, but we will only worry about our Backdraft pilot for now. Continue researching, and if what you say is true, we can expect everything to play right into our hands, anyway. The Raynos pilot seems to be quite fond of her, and I haven't a doubt in my mind, that with the correct measures taken, he will come to us at the right time. Being that his Zoid has unusual skills, its collaboration with the Liger could prove risky. This concludes our meeting." All figures at the discussion table, along with the pilots called in, were leaving, except for one… Stoler looked at the ground, a deep sadness and pain in his expression.

"…Pierce…"

_____________

                At the same time, a council was being held in the living room of the Tauros base, Jamie being the person held in question.

                "I knew it! I knew it! You've got two personalities. COOOL!" Leena shouted, not really upset at the revelation involved.

                "That would explain why it seems like you've been talking to yourself lately…" commented Brad.

                "Jamie, why didn't you tell us? We would have understood. You're part of the team."

                "Sorry doc. I just thought you'd all think I was crazy if I told you Wild Eagle was part of my subconscious."  
                "Relax, Jamie! It's like Doc said. You're one of us! We just wanna know if you're okay," added Bit, slapping Jamie on the back playfully. He hit him a little harder than he intended, causing Jamie to choke for a second. He was back to normal in a moment or so.

                "… so you're not mad?"

                "Of course not! In fact, we gladly welcome the Wild Eagle! If you don't want him to leave, we'll treat him as one of the team. Whatever you want." Leena beamed as she reassured for the fifth time that night that the Blitz Team was being understanding of their comrade's predicament. Jamie finally forced a smile, but was also thinking about something else. **_~But you'll have to leave sooner or later. You said so yourself.~_** Wild Eagle responded immediately. **_/ So? I was only made to help you. Don't feel bad when I go. /_** In all actuality, he was being a lot more dishonest than he let on. He, himself, was developing feelings for Pierce on his own, and the truth he had revealed to Jamie had been on his mind since the battle with the gang. Whenever he was suppressed into the back of Jamie's mind, he could control what thoughts his partner could hear, and vice versa. **_/ I know I'm supposed to just do my part and fade away, but I can't help thinking about her. I don't know if I could ever let go of this adventure. /_**

                "Jamie, I wanted to talk to you about the battle you had with the gang…"

                "WHAAT? You knew about that?"

                "Of course! I planted a beacon and recorder inside your Zoid, and I have two questions to ask about that night." Jamie hesitated. **_~They're gonna find out about Pierce for sure!~_**

                "You see, the first is about that amazing attack the Raynos pulled off. It wiped out the entire field of enemies. Incredible! How'd you do it?"

                "Doc, I really don't know… all I know is that it's called Whirlwind Fury, and it ended up just flashing on my screen when I got really mad."

                "Say, that's what Liger always does to me in combat!" Bit noted. Doc just stood still, pondering everything to strike a conclusion.

                "Yes, that is strange…"

                "What attack are you talking about?" The rest of the Blitz Team did not see the attack, so Doc showed them the footage. They were in awe at what they saw. "Wow! That causes more destruction than Wild Weasel!" exclaimed Leena. Bit decided to mess with her for a second.

                "If any! You almost always miss when you shoot." Leena turned to growl at him, and he backed away slowly, smiling nervously, more so with a fear causing his heart to pound rapidly. Jamie decided to reunite Leena with her mind; she was apparently about to lose it.

                "Guys! We've got more important things to discuss here!" The two calmed, apologizing to their teammate.

                "Yes, that's right! I almost forgot about the second question." Jamie froze, and let a gulp go down his throat.

                **_/ Damn! Forgot about that one, didn't you ? /_**

**_                ~…shut up…~_**

                "That girl who you were with… I didn't see her because the footage was only inside the Zoid, but the name, Pierce… isn't she the one from the Backdraft group?"

                "What?" Leena replied. "Wadda ya mean, from the Backdraft?" Brad just sat calmly, letting everything be explained to him in due time.

                "Who's Pierce?" Bit asked. He had never remembered to ask her for her name before, during or after their previous battle.

                "You idiot! She's that green-haired woman I shot down!"

                "Oh, her? Whaa-? You mean Jamie went out with her?"  
                "Wait a second Bit, what makes you think I went out with her?"

                "What else would you be doing with her? She's the enemy, and she's hot!" Bit purposely ignored the glare coming from Leena. Brad let a laugh loose inside of his mind. Calm as he always looked, that didn't mean he never reacted to what went on around him. Jamie blushed at Bit's statement.

                "That's beside the point, Bit! The question is, why would you two be dating? She's the enemy," replied Tauros, returning his team to the topic at hand.

                "Doc, I can explain. She's not with the Backdraft right now. I don't even know if she's planning to go back. Besides, just cause she works for them doesn't mean she's a bad person." Jamie didn't think that he'd receive support for his defense, but just as he was awaiting Doc's response, Bit stood up.

                "Doc, Jamie's right. I saw this Pierce before the battle, and she's really not bad at all. I don't agree with her working for such a terrible group, but… she has her reasons. I say give em a chance." Tauros was surprised that Bit stood up for Jamie, and simply smiled.

                "All right then. We'll let it alone for the time being."

                "Doc, that reminds me. Something else about that attack the Raynos did."

                "What is it?"

                "It sorta responded to when Pierce got shot out of the sky. I remember Wild Eagle getting angry, and then the attack flashed on the screen. I don't know why, though…"

                "Hold that thought, Jamie. We'll look into all of this tomorrow."

                "Oh, yeah. Ashley sends her regards," Jamie added.

                "REALLY? Wow! She's so cool!" Leena shouted. Bit and Brad sweat dropped.

                "So why exactly is Ashley so important again?" asked Bit. Brad decided to explain.

                "Don't you remember? She's the Gun Sniper Goddess! She has mastered dueling combat like Naomi, mass assault combat like Leena, and close range combat. In fact, she created her own Gun Sniper, the Gun Sniper Legend, with all three capabilities. Anyone who's skilled at shooting, or just plain trigger-happy knows how famous she is. She retired from Zoid battles though."

                "Really? Why?"

                "They say she just didn't find competition anymore. She sat back, and did volunteer work on the side, helping to solve cases regarding crimes with the Legend. Don't get me wrong, she still pilots it, and I doubt she ever lost her skills."

                "That's amazing! I'm getting a headache. Too many revelations for me in one night. I'm going to bed. Good night," Bit replied, yawning exhaustedly. Everyone else agreed, watching as Bit left the room, but they made one, tiny observation.

                "Where's Leena?" they all asked, their question being answered as they heard Bit screaming and a stampede ringing through the halls.

                "Come back here, Bit Cloud! How dare you insult my skills and say someone looks better than me?" Jamie sweat dropped.

                "Poor Bit… does he ever get a break?"

                "Guess not," coolly replied Brad. That was the final thought of the night, as everyone decided it was best to go to sleep.

_____________

                Pierce sat at her computer, researching on the Raynos. "Whirlwind Fury, that's what he called it." Running through every site imaginable, she tried to find information on the attack. There was none.

                "What? How can that be? Even if the Zoid is an Ultimate X, there's gotta be some kind of information on it." She wasn't looking for information to help the Backdraft, rather she found it quite intriguing how amazing the attack looked when she saw it first-hand. The fact that she could find no connections really disturbed her. Just then, a message appeared on her com-link.  It was coming from Stoler. Pierce opened up the link, ready to talk to her friend to ease her mind of her recent tensions.

                "Hey, Stoler, what's up?"

                "Get out of there now!" Stoler obviously had no intention of engaging in casual conversation.

                "What's wrong?"

                "The heads of the organization have a price on your head. Your Zabat Team is coming to capture you as we speak. Leave at once!"  
                "But why would they do such a thing?"

                "They know about you and the Raynos pilot!" Pierce gasped when she heard her comrade say this. **_~Oh, no! That means…~_**

                "Just let me know one thing… were you planning on turning your back on the Backdraft group?"  
                "Yes… I don't know. He just made me feel like I could do anything as long as I was with him, you know? Stoler, I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I really like you, but--" Stoler cut her off.

                "Don't worry about it. I told you, I'm happy as long as you're happy. Otherwise, I wouldn't be warning you right now. Just go, I promise you I'll do whatever I can to help, and one more thing…" Pierce listened intently, paying close attention to the next words that would be uttered. "… Layon's in charge of the search. He's planning on taking your crimes as far as death!" Pierce fumbled with the com-link. She was in shock. **_~Jamie! Oh no!~ _**"Don't just stand there, get out now!"

 Pierce ran for the door, looking outside at the two Zoids in her possession. She was about to head in the direction of the Stormsworder, but she turned to the Zabat instead. ~They'd be looking for me in the Stormsworder. Besides, I just finished repairing it from the last battle.~ Climbing into her Zoid, she realized it was too late when her squad appeared in the distance. **_~Damn! I've got no choice but to fight. Looks like I won't see you for awhile, Jamie… sorry.~ _**She charged at the flock of bat-like Zoids in full force, knowing it was futile but not planning on being captured without a fight. Inside her house, the com-link was still on. Stoler heard everything. There was the screeching of the Zabats, fierce winds and firing being heard, and a crash until finally, silence. The only remaining noises were the majority of the Zabats flying away and the sound of several Zabats carrying a Zoid, which was obviously the Stormsworder. Pierce's protests were also heard, but another abrupt silence ensued, and then total silence spread over the entire area.

"If Pierce sees no need to stay with the Backdraft, neither do I. I'll help her in getting out, and if need be, I'll leave myself."

_____________

                Jamie woke up that morning, fully rested and looking forward to another day of relaxation. He had no reason to be upset; his worst fears had finally subsided. He didn't have to hide his relationship with Pierce, and everyone was okay with the idea of his other personality. He basically was carefree at the time. Walking into the dining room, he saw Harry and Dr. Tauros conversing at the breakfast table, Harry sipping on some coffee and Doc reading a newspaper. He picked up the last part of the conversation.

                "You gotta look out, Mr. Tauros."

                "For the last time, stop calling me that! You make me seem like I'm your father-in-law." At this, Harry blushed, going on and on about how he wished that were true and how he and Leena would be so happy together and how they were meant for each other.

                "I'm Harry Champ, a man destined to be king! Leena is my soul mate, destined to be queen!"

                "AM NOT!" Leena stormed into the dining room. "How dare you say that?" Harry felt himself shrinking, and with each word he was about to say, he got smaller, smaller, smaller…

                "But, Leena, darling… it's true…….. you…… and….. I are meant for each other," he finished, almost completely silent to the ears of all who were listening."  
                "Harry, that's enough! Did you come here to tell me about something or to harass my daughter all day?" Tauros grew quite impatient with the young, rich Zoid pilot, and Harry finally came back to his senses. Clearing his throat, he continued to speak.

                "Mr.-- I mean Doc, you should be on the lookout for a gang that's just entered this territory."

                "If they're anything like the Sand Stingray Gang, I don't see what all the fuss is about," commented Brad, listening to the conversation. Bit was oblivious to all going on except the channels through which he flicked.

                "That's logical thinking, but this gang is ten times worse. There are hundreds of members, and they always have high-tech weaponry…" Jamie thought back to the battle that he had fought two nights before. ~They had those high-tech plasma cannons, and Gojulas and Iron Kongs are also hard to come by.~

"They have a theme to their Zoids. They usually use things involved with dinosaurs and the prehistoric period." Jamie listened more intently. **_~Pteras, Gojulas, Sabretiger, Iron Kong. It's gotta be them!~ _**"Their name is the Jurassic Team Gang." Jamie gulped. **_~What? How can that be?~ _**Wild Eagle laughed from within.

                **_/ Wow… never saw that coming, / _**he said sarcastically.

                **_~…shut up.~_**

                "So wadda we do?" asked Leena.

                "You let me handle it," answered Jamie, preparing to explain everything. "Doc, that's the gang I demolished that night."

                "What? You beat them?" Harry could not contain himself. It was impossible for that to ever happen, and yet… it did. "Well, Doc, I gotta be on my way. I'll see you guys later."

                "One more thing," added Tauros. "Do you think you could do some research on the Raynos? I'm trying to find information regarding this data," he continued, giving Harry a copy of the disk he had made from the night of the battle.

                "Yeah, I'll do it, but it's gonna cost you…" he replied, looking over to Leena and winking at her. She cringed.

                "Who the hell do you think I am? I won't do it!" Before she could continue, Bit and Tauros were standing behind her, chanting. Jamie sweat dropped.

                "Take the date! Take the date! Take the date! Take the date! Take the date! Take the date! Take the date! Take the date! Take the date! Take the date!" Leena sighed in defeat.

                "Where the hell'd you come from Bit?"

                "Oh, you know, I was just, around…"

                "Thanks a lot!"

                "Oh, you're quite welcome." Leena snarled at Bit's remark, forcing him to do his usual, slow retreat.

                "I'll deal with you later…" she growled. Harry was too happy to notice.

                "I'll see you guys tomorrow. As for you, Leena, I'll see you tonight."

__________

                Pierce sat in the center of a room. She had been cuffed and forced to sit on her knees before her council. The crowd was seated all around, and she could have been described as the center of a hostile universe. There were three men, at which Layon was the head. The room was filled with boos and jeers, all directed at the poor pilot. Layon just cackled evilly, while sipping on noodles.

                "Lieutenant Pierce, you have been charged with high treason. How do you plead?" boomed Layon, using a deeper voice than what was normally his. He was just trying to make the trial seem as dramatic as trials were in the movies. Pierce stood up firmly, looking Layon directly in the eyes.

                "…not guilty."

                "How do you plead against charges on insubordination?"

                "…not guilty."

                "I see… so how do you plead on charges of attacking your own men?"

                "I object!"

                "You're in no position to object in my court. Answer the question!"

                "But what am I supposed to do if my own men attack me?"  
                "JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!"

                "…not guilty." The courtroom burst out of control. Some even threw things at her. Layon simply smirked. Silencing the court with the pounding of his gavel, he began to speak.

                "I see, then I have reached a verdict. You are guilty, and sentenced to death by execution, effective immediately, but not before we destroy your Stormsworder."

                "What? This isn't a fair trial!"

                "Who cares? I can do what I want! Take her away!" Several guards escorted her out of the room, the last things she heard being Layon's rants. "You hear that, Tauros? I can do whatever I want! I AM GOD! MWAHAHAHA!" The entire room fell silent. Everyone sweat dropped. Layon put his noodles down and regained composure. "Oooookayyy…"

______________

                "Layon? What are you doing calling here?"

                "Where's your Raynos pilot, Tauros?"

                "What? You mean, Jamie?"

                "Yeah, that's the one. Tell him we've caught his little dove." Tauros looked confused, so Layon decided to explain further. "Just tell him! He'll know what you mean." Tauros sat down, putting the palms of his hands to his forehead and thinking about what Layon meant.

                "What the hell is he talking about?" Deciding to go tell Jamie after thinking for about ten minutes, he realized what Layon was talking about when he saw Jamie freaking out about the whole thing. "You mean, Layon was talking about Pierce?"

                "Who else would he be talking about, Doc? I'll be right back! I'm gonna go check her house."

                "Oh, no you don't!" Leena protested.

                "But guys… I need to check to see if she's all right."

                "Leena's right. You're not going by yourself. You'll need all of us to help you if this is some sort of trap. So are you gonna go too, Brad?" Brad nodded to answer Bit's question. 

"…thanks guys…"

"All right, then it's settled. Everyone to your Zoids!" Leena, Bit, and Brad rushed out the room, preparing to take on whatever got in their way. Jamie stayed behind for a moment.

                "Doc, what did Bit mean about a trap?"

                "Well, it was Layon who called. Besides, why would he want you to come if he didn't have a trap or plan to capture you? He might use you for bait to capture the Liger Zero, or…" Tauros continued, "he might even be well aware of the capabilities of the Raynos. Either way, we can't afford to be careless right now, understand?" Jamie nodded his head in agreement.

                "Thanks, Doc!" Jamie ran out to his Zoid.

                Flying ahead of the rest of his team, Jamie was determined to find out if Layon was lying. ~He's gotta be! What else could the Backdraft want with capturing its own pilot?~ Wild Eagle decided to answer the question.

                **_/ You know, if they've seen her with us, they may think she's gone traitor. / _**Jamie continued to fly, until he saw Pierce's house in the distance. His jaw dropped as he came closer. **_~Isn't that her Zabat? It's ruined!~ _**The Zabat had been badly banged up, one of its wings broken on the ground. It looked like there had been a fight recently, as the cockpit had been opened like it was in ejection mode.

                "Let's report back to the base, guys! We need to figure out where they're holding her and exactly what we're going to do."

                "Good idea, Jamie. You heard him, let's regroup." By the time they had returned, Tauros had already assembled any of their previous allies: the Fluegel Team, Jack Sisco from the Lightning Team, and Harry, Sebastian, and Benjamin.

                "Wow! Guys, you don't know how much this means to me," Jamie said as he stumbled on the words, trying his hardest to hold back a sole tear. Naomi walked over and patted him on his shoulder.

                "Don't mention it kid. We'll help you get her back. Besides, I look forward to testing my skills out, you know, to see which Gun Sniper is better." Leena jumped up at the challenge.

                "My Gun Sniper can beat your Red Comet any day!"

                "Your defective Zoid couldn't beat me if I was out of ammo," Naomi playfully countered. Leena didn't get the gist of the joke and growled furiously.

                "What… Did… You… Say?" Naomi just looked up to the ceiling, like she usually did to annoy Leena, and used her usual retort.

                "Huh? I didn't say anything. Just talking to myself," she replied innocently, Leena still fuming with Bit and Brad trying to calm her down. Outside, the sound of a Zoid approaching caused every body to look to the cameras of the base. Apparently, another Gun Sniper appeared. It was black on the face and the back, but its underbelly was completely white with a Coat of Arms on the chest. It had the tail rifle that Naomi's Red Comet possessed, and it also packed the Wild Weasel Unit of Leena's. Most admirable, however, were the gun slings on its sides and the sword hanging off of its hip. It looked like a knight, a very impressive and noble sight amongst the observers at the base. Leena and Naomi ended their quarrel, their eyes lighting up at the sight. They knew who it was.

                "Hey? Ashley! Oh my god! I can't believe we actually get to see you fight, and you're fighting 

alongside us! This is awesome!" Leena couldn't contain herself. Naomi was happy, but she remained calm in the presence of the Gun Sniper Legend.

                "It's an honor to finally meet you in person, Ashley. You're the reason I pilot a Gun Sniper today."

                "Well, I'm glad you all know who I am, but we've got more important things to do. Jamie, I'm here to help you get that nice lady back, and don't worry about not paying for that dinner I made. It'll be on me. As far as I know, you'll need it to make things up to her. I've been looking over the layout of the land, and I think I may have found out where the Backdraft Group keeps their base."

                "Oh yeah! That reminds me," Harry added. "I've found some information on the system that you described in the Raynos. The system itself was meant to be an addition to something called an Ultimate X. Apparently, it was meant to enhance an Organoid's capabilities, whatever that is, so not only it learned from battle, but it would be able to create its own attacks by analyzing the build-up of the Zoid on which it was installed. It creates new attacks in accordance to the pilot's will to fight. In Jamie's case, he got so angry that the computer threw in an attack to help him. Once it's made, it stays in the system. They say that it was never installed in an Ultimate X because it would prove too dangerous to innocents and the pilot himself. An Ultimate X's will to fight can override the pilot, and such deadly attacks could prove fatal. As a result, the first test was placed in a Raynos, but be careful. Only special pilots were meant to pilot these Zoids and it may prove too much for you, Jamie. Don't use its special attacks too much."

                "That being said, let's hit the-- huh?" The entire base shook, and Tauros immediately went to check his visuals. "We're  under attack! Everybody! To your Zoids, now!" The Ligers, Gun Snipers, Iron Kongs, the Lightning Saix, and the Command Wolf engaged for battle. In the distance, a bunch of familiar-looking Zoids appeared, with some minor differences: there were no Gojulas, but they had been replaced by a lot more Spino-sappas.

                "Hey there!  Just hand over the Raynos pilot and nobody gets hurt!"

                "Tirano? Is that you?" exclaimed Harry. He apparently knew the leader if the gang. "You're the leader of the Jurassic Team Gang?"

                "Well, well, if it isn't Harry Chump-- I'm sorry, I meant Champ. Then again…" he chuckled evilly, causing Harry to growl. "So who knew you were with these losers. No matter, I'm here to repay an old debt. That Raynos pilot caused severe damage to our group. We lost all our Gojulas. He won by luck last time, but I doubt he'll win now!"

                "Who is this Tirano guy, Harry?" Everyone wanted to know.

                "His name is Tirano Sirus Rexaur. His father runs a company that competes with my father's. He's a spoiled brat, and I had no idea he was piloting Zoids. That would explain how his gang can afford all of that fancy equipment. Anyone who knows who he is too afraid to turn him over to the authorities, and I know for certain that his father doesn't know about him being in this gang."

                "You're right, Harry. He doesn't know. I'm really just sponsoring his company by being in the Jurassic Team. I got a little bored, so I decided to wreak some havoc and start my own gang. Pretty impressive huh?"  
                "Not really…"  
                "Well who asked you? Stop changing the subject. Give me the Raynos pilot, now!"

                "Not on your life. You may as well just start the fight, because we aren't listening!"

                "Very well. Have it your way, attack!" All Zoids lunged at the assembled allies. The Lightning Saix, Ligers, and Raynos lunged forward to engage in close combat. The Gun Snipers stayed behind, firing into the frenzied fray, and the Command Wolf decided to come in from the side, confusing its enemies with a smokescreen.

                The Red Blade Liger slashed through whatever got in its way, and the Saix caught everything in its path with a sonic boom, amplified by the Raynos flying overhead. Jamie had yet to realize this, but he was actually breaking the sound barrier on his own. "Assemble the plasma cannons again!" The Iron Kongs that possessed the lethal fire power lined up in the back, reforming their firing squad position. The assault that the Blitz Team and its allies created had already wiped out a third of the gang. Leena and Naomi were out of ammo, so their parts in the battle were useless. However, Ashley was just warming up.

                "I'm going to help out the others," she said, returning her guns to their slings and drawing her Knight's Sword. "All right, Legend, let's go!" Ashley charged as fast as the Legend would allow and ran to the battlefield's interior. Liger Zero returned to the base.

                "Doc! I wanna convert to the Jager." Immediately, Tauros activated the Hover cargo and assembled the Liger on the magnetic catapult.

                "Liger Zero, CAS to Liger Zero Jager initiated." One by one, each of the initial parts of the Liger Zero were stripped off, replaced by the familiar blue armor of the Jager. "Liger Zero Jager, CAS complete!" said the Doc, launching it back into the battlefield. Returning to his position in no time, he managed to dive down on about ten Spino-sappas, disabling them at once.

                "Strike Laser Claw!" The Raynos flew past them, and was the first to see the firing squad lined up.  "Whirlwind Fury! Huh? Why isn't it working?" They were ready to fire. **_~Oh no!~ _**Tirano smirked.

                "Say goodbye… Wild Eagle." They blasted aimlessly into the air, disabling the Raynos in pretty much the same way that the Stormsworder had been disabled.

                "Jamie!" yelled Bit. He had seen this familiar sight before. Just as the Raynos was about to crash, Wild Eagle took over, launching the Raynos back into the air. "Wild Eagle, is that you?"

                "Yep. These guys hitting Jamie like that really pissed me off! I think I'll go teach them some manners."

                "Too late! Prepare to fire ag-- what?" The Legend had snuck around to the back, courtesy of Brad's smokescreen and began slashing through the firing line, one by one.

                "How's this feel? Lightning Slash!" By the time her attack was done, she had eliminated six Iron Kongs, but there were still about thirty or so to go. A Spino-sappa knocked her sword out of her hand, disabling her physical combat. It sacrificed itself, because touching the sword put it out of commission. She tried to retrieve it, but was shot at mercilessly by the other Spino-sappas. Having high endurance, she retreated back into the smokescreen. "Damn! I almost had em!"

                "Fire!"

                "No!" Wild Eagle watched helplessly as every one of his allies was put out of commission. The Command Wolf and Legend were all that remained with him, and they would be useless from here on out.

His rage returned, and the anger in him was building at the same time the special attack appeared. "Okay! Now I'm ready to end this! Whiiiiiiirlwind Fuuuuuuuury!" The familiar tornado formed again, and this time, it was more powerful than before. Every enemy was eliminated. However, it was so strong that the Wild Eagle passed out, causing the Raynos to crash to the earth below.

                "Wild Eagle!" His comrades ran to check on him. They were surprised to hear Jamie's voice when they arrived.

                "He'll be fine. I'm off to go find the base. Ashley, you comin'?"

                "I'll catch up to you once I find my sword." With that, the Raynos flew off into the distance.

                "We can't help him, Doc! Our Zoids won't respond."

                "That's all right. He'll be okay with Ashley on his side. I'm calling the Zoids Battle Commission to pick up all this garbage."

                "I'll make you all pay, you hear me?"

                "Whatever Tirano! You've just been defeated by Harry Champ, a man destined to be king!"  
                "Whatever, Harry Chump!"

_____________

                In her cell, Pierce sat, her arms crossed around her knees. She was just waiting for death, which she deemed inevitable. **_~He won't come… I'm so sorry Jamie, my Wild Eagle.~ _**She felt grief and depression, more so because she would never be able to see Jamie again. Outside, one of the guards peered into her cell. "What do you want?" she snapped.

                "Well, well, if it isn't the traitor of the Backdraft  group. It's a shame though… such a waste of a good-looking pilot. I could've found a better fate suited for your uh… talents," he said, licking his lips and smiling lustfully at Pierce. She cringed defensively.

                "Touch me and die!"

                "Whatever… huh what are you doing he--?" the sound of the guard falling limply to the ground sparked Pierce's curiosity.

                "Who's there? Jamie?"

                "No, it's Polta."

                "What are you doing here?"

                "Stoler and I are springing you out. Of course, if you wanna stay here and die…"  
                "No thanks. I'll take your offer." Pierce smiled as she got up, watching as Polta unlocked the door. Around the corner, she could hear gunfire. Stoler retreated from the area, meeting up with his accomplice.

                "Sorry Stoler. This is as much as I can do to help you, but I'll stall for as long as possible. You're on your own now. You two get outta here." Stoler shook his hand.

                "That's all right, man. You did what you could. We'll take it from here. Just don't get caught doing this for us."

                "Good luck!"

                "Stoler!" Pierce ran up and hugged Stoler strongly. He blushed, but knew that wasn't what she was trying to make him do. He hesitantly hugged her back. "Why'd you…" He cut her off.

                "Pierce, we'll talk later. Right now, we've gotta get you outta here. I'm sure the Raynos pilot will be here soon."

                "He knows I'm here?"

                "Yeah, Layon told him. Apparently, they wanted to set a trap to test his Zoid. But enough talk. Let's go!" They ran down endless paths, looking for the hanger that kept her precious Stormsworder. They finally arrived, and Pierce climbed into her Zoid. She looked up to find Stoler leaving.

                "Where you going?"

                "I've gotta make some arrangements. I'll catch up with you!" The Stormsworder took off, and Stoler went to make whatever preparations he was to make. Outside, the Raynos blasted furiously at the base.

                "Here already? No matter. Unleash my hyper pulse wave cannons!" commanded Layon. Three cannons sprung from the ground. Wild Eagle decided to take over. **_/ We've gotta blast those cannons! / _**In an act of desperation, he fired all missiles and followed up with a sonic boom. He had no effect, and the cannons fired, knocking him out again and forcing Jamie to take over. The Stormsworder flew overhead and Jamie had to talk with its pilot.

                "Pierce?"

                "Let's get outta here!"

                "Oh, no you don't! Activate the energy wall!" An energy shield blocked their escape, and both pilots didn't know what options they had left. Just as the cannons were loading another surge of energy, a powerful blast disabled the shield. "What? That's the Elephandor!"

                "Stoler, what the hell are you doing? You're gonna get yourself killed helping me!"

                "Sorry, I made a promise that when you left, I would leave, and I always keep my promises."

                "No matter! None of you will make it before I fire my cannons again!" Just then the Legend slashed through all three cannons and turned to face the three Zoids.

                "Let's get outta here. Now!" The Zoids escaped, leaving Layon behind cursing with words the author of this story won't even begin to describe. Half way to the base, the pilots stopped to rest. Jamie climbed out of his Zoid slowly. His shoulder was badly damaged when the Wild Eagle had last taken over.

                "Jamie!" Pierce ran to hug him, and he screamed out in pain at the pressure on his shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry." Jamie just looked up at her and smiled.

                "Don't be…" the two found themselves speechless, and were once again staring into each other's eyes. In the background, Ashley was cheering and Stoler smiled. The two finally leaned in closer, sparking the kiss, their tongues dancing on one another. The destruction at the Backdraft base in the distance sparked fireworks that greatly increased the power of the moment. However… inside of Jamie's mind observed the Wild Eagle who, if he had been in control of the body at that time, would have had a hot tear of pain flowing down his cheek. **_/ I'm gonna have to leave soon. He's already broken the sound barrier and won her heart. I just don't know if I wanna leave. She belongs to me, too, you know? /_**


	5. Songs of the Nightingale

*Disclaimer- You know the deal. Don't own Zoids… blah! blah! blah… for entertainment only… yadda… yadda… yadda… Okay! Now that that's out the way, let's get to business. Here's the latest chapter!

Chapter 5- SONGS OF THE NIGHTINGALE

_Soaring through the skies…_

_Winds blowing all my worries away…_

_Never let me go…_

_You're part of familiar yesterday…_

                Pierce awakened from her peaceful sleep. Now that she had evaded a horrible fate and was finally able to be by the side of whom she cherished most, she was more happy than she had ever been. She felt so free. All that mattered to her now was to stay with Jamie, forever. Looking around, she observed Stoler, Jack Sisco, and the Fluegel Team sleeping contentedly in the living room, which had been arranged for their temporary stay. Feeling safe and protected to know this, she smiled. She walked through the base, exploring the unknown terrain and hoping she would find her way to Jamie's room. Turning around a corner, she ran into Ashley, who was sipping on a mug of hot tea.

"Morning, Pierce."

"Good morning, Ashley."

"What's got you awake so early?"

"I'm used to it. Listen, I wanna thank you for saving us the other day."

"No prob." The two just sat there quietly, unsure of what to say next. Even though she knew she was accepted, she couldn't help feeling awkward around her new friends, once destined to be her enemies. "Was there something you wanted to ask? You look like you've got a few questions." 

"Actually, there was. I know that you're the Gun Sniper Goddess, and I'm glad that you came to my rescue, but I'm still trying to figure out why. I thought your fighting days were over. I never thought you'd try to help someone like me. I just don't get it." Pierce looked deep into Ashley's eyes, suggesting that she really wanted an answer. Ashley just stood up, and held her chin.

"Let's just say that from my past experiences, I don't want to see a repeat in the future." Saying this, Ashley regressed down the corridors, leaving a confused look on the green-haired beauty. **_~What did she mean by that?~_**

_____________

_Past promises so sad,_

_Pain induced brings grief, and sorrow…_

_How can this be bad?_

_I thought 'twas for a bright tomorrow?_

                **_/ C'mon Jamie, wake up! / _**The Wild Eagle was really concerned with what would be happening in the upcoming future. Would he really have to leave? Would it be forever? He had been hiding his feelings for the longest, and he decided that before things could progress further, now would be the time to make his feelings known to Jamie. **_/ Jamie! I really need to talk to you. / _**After yelling for about a few minutes, he finally managed to wake Jamie up. As usual, he got up with a cranky start and rubbed his eyes, followed by the matching yawn and stretch.

                "You know, that's really starting to get on my nerves..."

                **_/ So? We need to talk. / _**Jamie climbed out of bed and staggered to his feet.

                "What about?"

                **_/ I've been thinking lately about you and Pierce. /_**

                "Yeah, and what's wrong?"

                "Hey Jamie!"

                "Who is it?"

                "It's Ashley. Pierce is up, so if you want to go talk to her…"

                "Thanks, I'll be right there." Jamie returned to his conversation with Wild Eagle, lowering his tone so as not to draw attention. "Now what did you want to talk to me about?" Wild Eagle lost his courage to speak his mind when they were interrupted, and he had no choice but to try and address his feelings later.

                **_/ It's… it's nothing. / _**Jamie picked up hurt and reluctance in his partner's voice.

                "You sure? If you wanna talk…"

                **_/ No! Seriously, it's nothing. You go find Pierce. / _**Jamie wanted to know what was wrong, but decided that it would be best not to push the matter any further, although he had developed a strong bond of friendship with the Wild Eagle and it disturbed him to see his friend distressed.

                "All right, if you say so." Jamie left, and Wild Eagle returned to thinking his own private thoughts. **_/ Why should it matter if I'm happy? I'm just a tool for the real thing, right? /_**

_____________

_Seems so distant now,_

_My newborn reality,_

_I'll sing my life's tale anyhow,_

_This nightingale's own fantasy…_

_Song of pain, song of love,_

_Lifting on the clouds above,_

_To my heart, I'll stay true,_

_This song shall fly, straight to you…_

                Pierce sat on the foot of her Stormsworder, looking out into the clear morning sky from the hanger. She had a lot on her mind: thoughts of Jamie, thoughts of her betrayal, thoughts of leaving the Backdraft Group, thoughts of her father… **_~Father… I'm sorry I couldn't keep true to your name.~_** She had once begun her training as a pilot to follow in her father's footsteps. She remembered hearing the tragic news that her father had crashed and rushing straight into her mother's arms. She was only seven then… **_~Mother… I've failed you both… forgive me.~ _**After hearing of his death, Pierce's mother had grown severely ill. The doctors didn't know how to treat the symptoms, and sadly concluded that it was fatal. Pierce couldn't believe what she had seen, watching her mother slowly deteriorate into nothing, finally disappearing altogether, any remnants existing in the form of a dilapidated corpse. 

She recalled the feeling of guilt involved in the entire ordeal. She blamed herself for her mother's sadness, as is normal for any child to do, but she held that blame for many years to come, and it still lingered in her, even now. She remembered how powerless she was in the wake of her mother's demise, and she cursed herself for that, too. A tear began to run down her right cheek, both of her eyes long since watery. She hated how weak she was, and always thought that if she could have been stronger, she could have perhaps saved them both. As a result, she made a silent promise to make it up to them, becoming strong enough to protect anyone who she would cherish from that point and striving to shine a torch of glory on her father's name. However, since she was forced to flee, she could not keep the promise to her father, and felt as though she were paining her mother yet again. Another tear ran down her cheek, this time from the left. She drew her knees into her chest, sinking her head down as though to hide her shame from the world.

"Pierce?" She looked up, surprised to hear Jamie's voice. Finally placing her gaze on him, she sobered up, changing the gloomy setting of her isolated retreat. She smiled halfheartedly, a hint of sadness hidden behind it that was far too subtle to notice. "Good morning, I was looking for you." He walked over to where she sat, kissing her lovingly on the cheek, and he sat down beside her. "What're you doing up so early?" he asked, concerned because his earlier conversation with the Wild Eagle had him on edge, making him more aware of any emotions lingering in the air. He looked into her eyes, signing to her from a mere gaze that she could feel safe to express herself around him. His eyes gave off warmth, and she felt comfortable. The sadness was still in her expression, but relief had also begun to surface.

"Just thinking, about stuff… you know."

"Yeah, it has been pretty hectic around here lately. Thinking about anything in particular?"

"Nope, just about the Backdraft and everything."

"…your father?" Pierce froze. Jamie looked at her apologetically, realizing that he had pushed into sensitive territory and she smiled, mostly to ward off any guilt she had accidentally placed upon him.

"It's okay, really. If you really must know, yeah, I've been thinking about him a lot, ever sense we escaped."

"I know how you feel. It must feel bad to turn your back on everything you've ever known. Kind of like you're turning your back on him." Pierce smiled. **_~He can be extra perceptive at times. It's almost like he's two different people.~_**

"That's exactly how I feel. I just don't know, though. Is it right for me to do this? It almost feels like I'm shattering the legacy of my family. It feels so wrong just to walk away. Like I said before, he never saw anything bad about the Backdraft, and neither did I, but now…"

"They dismissed your legacy like it was nothing. Everything you did to honor him and show your loyalty was cast aside by a few simple regulations. If you wanna know, I think by leaving, you're building on his legacy."

_Song of dreams, fading fast,_

_Swift as the mighty river's flow,_

_I knew you wouldn't last,_

_Darkness forms from long ago…_

                "You know, I always wished that I could fly alongside my father, conquering the skies and challenging anyone who would dare to fight us. We were invincible, at least in the way I wanted to vision it, and I remember listening to every detail of his battle. Then, one day, I heard that he crashed. I wanted to know how that was possible, because the earlier report mentioned that he had eliminated all of his enemies. One of the soldiers explained to me that he had been severely injured, and could not control his Zoid any longer. Ever since then, I've always felt that if I didn't do well, become twice the pilot that he ever was, I could never even come close to fulfilling my dream, but I realize now that it was all a childish fantasy. I've failed him now the same way I failed my mother."

                "Pierce, you didn't do anything wrong. Whatever happened to your mother couldn't have been your fault. What was so bad that you regret about her?"

                "I-I-I couldn't save her," she managed to say with a slight stutter.

                "Of course you couldn't, you were just a child then. It's not your fault." These soothing words eased their way into her mind, and she felt less pain over the whole thing. **_~He's not judging me. Is he right that it's not my fault?~ _**In an abrupt outburst of emotion, her eyes swelled up with tears, and she hugged him tightly, sobbing softly to herself. Jamie held the back of her head, pressing gently on her aquatic green hair. He eased her away, holding her chin up to look into his eyes, and he smiled. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast."

_____________

_Off in a distant land,_

_Storm clouds thicken, threatening doom,_

_Time fickle as sand,_

_Song of fate, painting a tomb._

                Layon was sitting at his desk, concerned with his recent failure. Not only had he failed to capture the Raynos, but he had also managed to let Pierce escape. He stood up, and walked over to his personal stash of noodles, filling a pot with water afterwards. He placed it on the stove, letting it heat up into a boil. He placed the noodles inside, and returned to sitting at his desk. "Another embarrassment like this will put me in the same position as that pilot. All these unexpected turns. How the hell could I have predicted that the Raynos would get help? Further still, how could I have known that our Elephandor would have been one of the Zoids to do it? I've got to think of a way to make things up." He went about, looking at recent battle data concerning the Blitz Team. His eyes lit up as he observed a particular battle. "The Jurassic Team Gang, huh? Let me look up info on them…"

                Typing the keys at an alarmingly high rate, he searched through one database after another, cursing loudly every time he found nothing, and finally arrived to one site in particular. "The Jurassic Team Gang was a gang started by the Jurassic Team, sponsored by Dinocorp, the second largest industrial corporation next to the Champ organization. This particular corporation specializes in the manufacturing of Zoids under a prehistoric theme. The son is Tirano Sirus Rexaur." Layon began to search for information on Tirano, proceeding in basically the same way he had done seconds before, and stopped on one other site. "What? He's in custody of the Zoids Battle Commission? Hmm… this could prove interesting… I may be able to make amends and get Tauros back in one fell swoop!" He turned on the com-link, proposing his idea and anxiously awaiting permission. Once approved, he decided he'd make a little visit to the Commission Prison. A smile curved on his lips, followed by a maniacal laugh that echoed through the hallways of the Backdraft base. "Tauros! You're mine!"

_____________

_Seems so distant now,_

_My newborn reality,_

_I'll sing my life's tale anyhow,_

_This nightingale's own fantasy…_

_Song of pain, song of love,_

_Lifting on the clouds above,_

_To my heart, I'll stay true,_

_This song shall fly, straight to you…_

_At last we're together,_

_Never meant to part,_

_The end of stormy whether,_

_The song from a lovebird's heart…_

                The day actually went rather smoothly for the inhabitants of the Tauros base. The Tasker sisters had come to check on Jack, who simply did not wish to report back to them. Apparently, he was tired of always having to be on guard duty at night. Everyone waited for breakfast, courtesy of Leena, who growled as Brad, Bit, and Jamie chanted the usual breakfast chant. Jamie had decided to take Wild Eagle's advice.

                "Hold your horses, will ya?" At this point, even Ashley and Naomi joined in. Naomi obviously did it because she enjoyed irritating Leena. Wild Eagle added commentary every once in a while. **_/ One down, one to go. You're next, Bit. / _**Pierce was finally getting into the festive spirit of things, and she, too joined in. By the time it was over, even Leon and the Tasker sisters were saying it. Of course, Leena grew so angry that she wrecked the entire kitchen, and everyone was forced to clean it up while Tauros went to order out.

                The rest of the day ensued with light conversation and such. Bit decided to take the Liger out for a run, which inspired Pierce and Jamie to do the same. However, they flew together, racing through the skies as though nothing else mattered, or would ever matter again. That evening, the entire base decided to put on a talent show, where everybody had to showcase some skill. Leena decided to disturb everyone, lifting up a 400-pound weight, which was easily achieved due to her extensive training when she worked out. This made Bit cringe a lot more from that moment forth. Next up, was Bit. He really didn't have anything to do, so he decided to tell a few jokes, which resulted in him being booed off the stage. Next, Brad came out, amazing everyone with his martial arts skills. Jack, taking advantage of the opportunity so that he wouldn't have to create his own routine, joined him, and a light spar ensued. Everyone applauded. The Tasker sisters decided to act out a dramatic scene, involving two sisters who had not seen each other for years. More applause ensued.

                Naomi decided to spice things up. She pulled out an old revolver, and made Leon stand, placing several targets on him. He wanted to weasel his way out of it, but he knew he couldn't think of his own routine, and stood perfectly still, letting Naomi shoot the targets off one by one. Everyone turned to Stoler, who immediately backed away. Tauros let him off the hook, and everyone decided to turn back to Jamie. He and the Wild Eagle, who he had convinced to come out of hiding after being so quiet all day, succeeded where Bit failed, creating a very nice stand-up comedy routine. Due to its nature, it was also very original, and demanded applause. Ashley showed off her incredible swordsmanship, and everyone finally realized how her Gun Sniper Legend was able to maneuver its own sword so well. Finally, the entire audience turned to Pierce, who insisted that she didn't have anything.

                "Oh come on! A beauty like you has to have some kind of talent," Ashley encouraged.

                "Yeah! I know you've got to have some skill. If you need a partner for your act, I'll help you out!" yelled Bit. Leena growled at him, and remembering the weights, he cringed greatly.

                "Pierce knows how to sing!"  
                "Stoler!" Pierce snapped. The entire room turned to him, and he smiled. Pierce glared at him, but she wasn't really upset, just embarrassed.

                "Come on, Pierce. You used to always sing to yourself, and you've got such a beautiful voice. What better thing to showcase during a talent show than one of your beautiful songs?"

                "Come on, do it for me Pierce, please?" Jamie asked, mocking the innocent look of a puppy. How could she say no?

                "All right, I'll do it… but no laughing." She climbed onto the stage, and waited for the room to settle down. Once ready, she began to sing, loudly and clearly, her voice filling every space of the room.

_Soaring through the skies…_

_Winds blowing all my worries away…_

_Never let me go…_

_You're part of familiar yesterday…_

_Past promises so sad,_

_Pain induced brings grief, and sorrow…_

_How can this be bad?_

_I thought 'twas for a bright tomorrow?_

_Seems so distant now,_

_My newborn reality,_

_I'll sing my life's tale anyhow,_

_This nightingale's own fantasy…_

_Song of pain, song of love,_

_Lifting on the clouds above,_

_To my heart, I'll stay true,_

_This song shall fly, straight to you…_

_Song of dreams, fading fast,_

_Swift as the mighty river's flow,_

_I knew you wouldn't last,_

_Darkness forms from long ago…_

_Off in a distant land,_

_Storm clouds thicken, threatening doom,_

_Time fickle as sand,_

_Song of fate, painting a tomb._

_Seems so distant now,_

_My newborn reality,_

_I'll sing my life's tale anyhow,_

_This nightingale's own fantasy…_

_Song of pain, song of love,_

_Lifting on the clouds above,_

_To my heart, I'll stay true,_

_This song shall fly, straight to you…_

_At last we're together,_

_Never meant to part,_

_The end of stormy whether,_

_The song from a lovebird's heart…_

_Gazing in each other's eyes,_

_Finding pure serenity,_

_You, my lovebird are the prize,_

_Fly with me for eternity._

_Seems so distant now,_

_My newborn reality,_

_I'll sing my life's tale anyhow,_

_This nightingale's own fantasy…_

_Song of pain, song of love,_

_Lifting on the clouds above,_

_To my heart, I'll stay true,_

_This song shall fly, straight to you._

                The audience was in awe of her singing. Her voice was soft, mellow, plucking on every emotion that the song's lyrics produced. She was so into it, as well. All of the women, even Naomi and Leena, could not help but wipe tears from their eyes. The beauty that they heard entranced the men. Jamie smiled, tears in his eyes. He was the first to clap, causing the audience to begin the delayed reaction. Had there actually been a prize, Pierce would definitely have won. Brad commented to Jamie on her performance.

                "Boy, you sure know how to pick 'em."

                "Just lucky, I guess." He climbed up on the stage and hugged her, the two releasing their hold long enough to engage in a passionate kiss. Jamie wasn't really sure how to tell her how much he cared for her, but to his surprise, she spoke before him.

                "I love you, my Wild Eagle." Jamie smiled, and replied in the same passionate way.

                "I love you too, my beautiful nightingale…" The two sat down, and Jamie, amazed at how sad the song was, asked her where she got the inspiration to sing it.

                "It was my mother and father's favorite song. I remember at nights when my mother would lay me down and sing it to me like a lullaby. That was the song they had sung at their wedding. I don't know. I've just always kept it close to my heart." Later on that night, everyone mingled to the sips of hot cocoa. Everybody was fixed with someone else. Bit and Leena sat comfortably together, not lashing at each other for the first time. Brad was relaxing, Naomi asleep beside him. He couldn't help but blush furiously when she cuddled up against him. Helpless to do anything, he held her gently, and kissed her on the forehead, making sure nobody noticed. What he didn't know was, the one person who did notice was Naomi, who had been faking her sleep the entire time. 

Leon and Stoler had engaged in flirtatious tactics with the Tasker sisters, Leon trying his hand at the younger one, Kris, and Stoler the older, Kelly. Jamie and Pierce were obviously snuggled together on the couch, undisturbed by the events going on around them. Ashley and Tauros were in a remote part of the room, sipping their cocoa and conversing. In fact, the only person who wasn't with anyone was Jack Sisco. Kelly and Kris insisted that they knew a friend who they could hook him up with, and he gulped. He was a lone wolf, so blind dates had to be the worst thing in his world.

"Ashley, why did you come to help us?" Tauros cocked an eyebrow with interest, leaning in closer to hear, and to relay to Ashley that she would not have to speak so loud, that her response would be kept secret.

"Steven, do you remember Yusef?"

"Of course, wasn't he your first love?"

"My only love…" she stated abruptly. Her tone completely changed to a happy tone, the tone one gets in reminiscing about good memories. "He was such a handsome, charming man. We used to fight alongside each other in battles, remember? We were the Invincible Team. No one could match us, and our foes cringed when they heard our names. As long as I was with him, I felt like I could take on anything. One day, he went out on a journey and never returned." Her voice changed to regret as she reached this point in her explanation. She put her mug down and stared into the steamy fluid, a look of pure sadness undeniable in her expression.

"Wasn't he killed in some freak Zoid battle?"

"That's right. Do you know who it was that killed him? The Backdraft, that's who!" Her voice grew angry at the thought of the Backdraft, but not so much to the point where she drew attention.  "This was just when they were rising in power. I cried for days, but I wanted to continue fighting with his spirit beside me. Eventually though, I lost my heart and interest in battles. It wasn't the same, and I hated everything for a while. I decided to harness that anger and use it to fight the Backdraft. After a while though, I realized that even though I was never losing, they were too strong to defeat alone, so I gave up and retired from battles altogether."

"I'm sorry, I never knew, but what's that got to do with you helping us?" Ashley stared over to Pierce and Jamie.

"Look over there. Those two remind me so much of me and Yusef when we were so deeply in love. I remember being so happy when I saw them at my restaurant, smiling and just loving each other. I smile whenever I think about it. It makes me feel so warm inside." A smile glowed on her face. "The two of them are an invincible team, and I don't want to see them go through what I did. Tauros, I will invest everything in their future on the grounds of love, a love that I was deprived of and a love that they were given. That is why I chose to help."

"…thank you, Ashley. You've always been a good friend to my family and this team.

_______________

                "There's a Whale King approaching! Fire all cannons!" The prison exploded with life, firing at Layon's vessel desperately but failing miserably. Not being one to waste time, he engaged his anti-gravity surge, eliminating all Zoids and ripping a hole in the ceiling. Tirano and the gang members that had been captured ran outside.

                "Tirano Rexaur!"

                "Who the hell are you?"  
                "Just think of me as a friend."

                "What do you want?"

                "The Raynos."

                "I'm listening."

                "How would you like it if I helped you seek revenge on the Raynos pilot and the Blitz Team? I heard they embarrassed you quite badly the last time you met."

                "What could you possibly do for us? I've got some of the strongest Zoids around."

                "This is true, but your technology isn't even second-rate compared to mine. With your Zoids and my engineering capabilities, we could crush our enemies! Both of our goals would be fulfilled."

                "So what do I have to do?"

                "Gather as many of your men as possible and meet me at the base of the Aroch Mountains. I'll intercept you there." As the gang departed, Layon chuckled quietly to himself. "Excellent. Everything is falling into place. Tauros, Raynos, Liger Zero. You shall all falter to my inescapable wrath."


	6. The Flight Into The Unknown

*Disclaimer: I do not own Zoids, but I own Ashley, the Gun Sniper Legend, and the Jurassic Team Gang. Everything else is owned by…………. Whoever owns Zoids! (Everyone falls over)

Leena: What the hell was that? Can't even remember the company?

(I hold up a paper, titled, "MY ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HARRY")

Leena: (gulps and laughs nervously) Forget I said anything…

Me: Besides, what's it matter anyway? In less than a week, **_I'll_** own it!

Okay. Now let's go…

Chapter 6

The Flight Into The Unknown 

****

                Tirano climbed out of his Iron Kong, accompanied by two of his associates. Underneath the watchful gaze of the Aroch Mountains, the twilight of the full moon created eerie shadows. There was a chill in the air, and a swift, subtle breeze left the trio shivering. The night's atmosphere was rather creepy, but not as creepy as a complete, rather disturbing person who broke someone out of prison and told him to meet him without any real explanation. Tirano wrapped his hands around his arms, trying to keep warm. At night, the air could get quite cold, and the breaths of the trio filled the air, visible to all for only a few seconds, but no more.

                "Are you sure we can trust this guy?"

                "Of course I'm sure! He did break us out, ya' know! Are you challenging my judgment?"

                "N-no, sir! It's just that I don't think it's worth it. After all, we've finally been ratted out and the Zoids Battle Commission will definitely be looking for us. Also, what insurance do we have that this technology is as good as he says it is?"

                "Are you kidding? That was no ordinary blast that he used to get us out! In any case, I think it's in our best interests to hear him out… of course, if you **_really _**disagree…" a twisted smile curled on his menacing face, and his objecting subordinate immediately set to an all-out apology.

                "No, sir! I love all your ideas! Forgive me for even making you think otherwise! It won't happen again--"

                "Oh, please shut up! It'd do you the most good to just be quiet until that Whale King guy arrives."

                And so, they stood, waiting patiently for about a half hour. Ironically, as impatient as Tirano had been known to be, he stood there, enduring the cold and the protests of the two whom he had asked to tag along. Even after forty-five minutes, he hadn't even so much as tapped a foot, and then…

                "Look! There he is! See, I told you guys." The Whale King hovered in the distance, releasing a distinctive cry. It was about fifteen miles off from where they stood.

                "Could've come a little closer…" muttered one of the other two men.

                "Shut up! Let's move out. The minute the three of us come on board, the sooner I don't have to listen to you two idiots whining like babies." The three Zoids pilots climbed into their mighty vehicles, charging off to the other end of the Aroch Mountains. A com-link appeared on Tirano's screen.

                "So nice of you to come," welcomed Layon. He had a smile on his face, and Tirano smiled as well.

                "Let's get down to business, doctor…"

                "Call me Layon. There's no need for formalities here. After all, because we're basically after the same things, we're partners on an equal playing field."

                "Yeah, um, so what is it that you wanted to discuss?"

                "To be truthful, I don't want to talk here, so let's head back to the base, and you can get situated, and we'll talk in the morning."

                "I don't understand. I'd really like to know what's going on tonight. It's the least you could do after making us wait so long, as my two fellow pilots have openly voiced more than once tonight."

                "I know! That's exactly why we'll talk tomorrow. I apologize. I've been a very poor host. It's just that I was busy making the preparations for the plan…"

                "Plan? What plan?" Tirano was astounded that he could have already surmised a strategy on such short notice. This was obviously not a man to be taken lightly. On the same note, Tirano didn't like being unaware of what lay in store from him. Not once did he recall being told about any of this, and he felt more like a pawn than a partner.

                "If we're equal, then I at least have the right to know a little on what you're brewing up in that head of yours," he barked. He continued looking at the com-link screen, leaning forward, extremely tensed, with a tight grip on the controls. Layon grew a little nervous, not scared, just nervous. Apparently, Tirano was waiting for at least a small background on the plan. Layon's face smirked, and Tirano slightly receded to his seat.

                "Once again, you're absolutely right. Forgive me! I just get so caught up in my ideas I sometimes forget about everything else."  
                "Yes, I've noticed…" growled Tirano, his characteristic impatience surfacing. His subordinates, who dared not say anything until the talking had been done, just sat there, listening intently for the upcoming details of their next assignment. "Get on with it!"

                "Yes, yes, of course. You see, I work for the Backdraft, and I head the Technology and Research department…"

                "Ah, the Backdraft, eh?" Tirano's expression twisted into a smile. "So your technology **_is_** first rate… I'm glad to hear it."

                "Yes, now if you'll let me continue…" Just as Tirano was impatient, Layon could not tolerate being interrupted when he went on about his schemes of pure genius. "… I'll inform you with a slight background. **_Slight_**, mind you, because you haven't agreed in joining us yet and I don't want **_too _**much information leaking out. You do understand, don't you?"

                "Whatever… that's nice and all, but tell me one thing… Why haven't you told us anything yet?" he sneered, catching Layon off guard. Layon panicked, and the noodles he had been eating scorched his hand, forcing him to drop them to the floor. He muttered something, but recollected himself to talk business.

                "All right, all right! Whatever floats your boat. In any case, you know of the energy shields that have become so common, right?"

                "Yeah, what about 'em?"

                "If you change the frequency used to generate them, the power can be amplified with the more shields that are used. If an army were to use a bunch of these shields…"

                "Yeah, so they'd be that much stronger, I know. But what good'll that do if the Liger cuts through? I've heard about its Schneider component, which supposedly broke through you Elephandor's defenses. How's that gonna help us?"

                "Well for one thing, IT WON'T IF YOU DON'T KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!" Layon would not tolerate any further interruptions, and Tirano, full of a complete understanding from the sound of Layon's voice, flinched and remained silent until the end, joining his partners, who had to snicker at the moment. Layon calmed and continued. "As I was saying, the Schneider will not be able to break through this barrier, as it will become so powerful, it can **_deflect _**highly powerful plasma beams, known for disengaging the shields almost immediately."

                "Deflect huh? I like the sound of that…" Tirano sat back laxly, intrigued by what he heard.

                "These deflections will bounce straight back in the directions that they came, so much of the ground-type Zoids will be pushovers. At the same time, I am well aware that the shields would have to be down when we open fire on **_normal _**occasions, but that's just it! The deflections are a result of a vacuum that is created, so all energy can exit the shields, but none can enter."

                "Wow, this is some important stuff! How could I say no? Wait a second, what about the Raynos and Storm Sworder?"

                "I was getting to that. Like I said, the shield is impenetrable and it has a few perks of its own. There's no way the flying Zoids can break it, even if they've gone past the sound barrier!"

                "Well, with a creation like that, my army will help you out for sure! I accept!"  
                "That's excellent. Now, I'll lower the Whale King for you three to board." The Whale King engaged its descent, and the three Iron Kongs clambered on. With that, the Whale King flew off, drowned out in the distance by the pale moonlight.

____________

                Back at the base, times were the most blissful that they had been in a matter of weeks, mainly in the past week, but the Blitz Team and its comrades were not complaining. To them, now was a time of celebration, to move on…

                _"Bit! Give me back my cookie!"_

_                "No way! I saw it first!"_

_ "Doc, how about we discuss the money I'll be earning from all of this?"_

_                "Hey Brad, how come you've been avoiding me?"_

_                "Uh… hey, Naomi… on second thought, Doc, I'll see you later. Bye!"  
                "Come back here, Brad Hunter!"_

_                "Whee! My new Raynos model is so cool!"_

_                "Doc! Pay attention!  Why won't anyone listen to me about my strategies? Arghh!"_

…yes, the times couldn't have been better. Jamie and Pierce were free to simply be with one another, Brad was succumbing to Naomi's strong, stubborn will, and even signs of more playful and less violent flirts were beginning to surface between Bit and Leena. On another tip, those who had assisted the distressed team were also reaping rewards. Ashley was finally in her element once again, and she felt like she had someone to protect for the first time in what seemed like ages. Jack Sisco had a nice, long break from the Tasker sisters, and even Leon and Stoler had gotten phone numbers from the two. There was a peace in the air, and it had not been so for months. However, there was a sole essence that could not participate in all of this joy… the Wild Eagle. He had been wanting desperately to talk to Jamie all day, but he couldn't find a time where Jamie and Pierce weren't conversing, holding hands, making out… he even tried to talk to Jamie in the shower, but Pierce had walked in by accident, and he lost his nerve.

                The day was too long for his impatience, and he had every reason to be feeling the way he was. It really wasn't fair to him that his feelings would simply be discarded as though they were nothing altogether after all would be said and done. Worst of all, Jamie was the one who had taken all of the credit for everything he had done, and Pierce never really took notice to the different personalities that had been displayed; he figured as much that she just passed them off, thinking of them as two different ways that Jamie expressed himself based on how he was feeling. _Feeling_… right, like all of this was from Jamie and Jamie alone. Finally, as the sunset was appearing over the horizon, Jamie began to grow weary. He kissed his love on the cheek and headed to his quarters. Wild Eagle was free to speak there.

                **_/ So, are you happy now, with Pierce and all? /_**

                "Of course, I mean, why wouldn't I be?" Jamie replied nonchalantly as he removed his t-shirt.

                **_/ Well, have you been thinking about what happens later on? /_**

                "Yeah, but don't worry. I'm sure I'll still be with Pierce no matter what." Wild Eagle was growing more irritated with each passing second. How could Jamie be so slow, after all the two had been through?  
                **_/ That's not what I meant. Have you been thinking about what happens to _**_us**? / **_Jamie froze. He stood remarkably still for a second, his hand holding a hanger less than an inch from the rack in his closet, letting it dangle in mid-air. Everything finally computed in his head, and he began to think back on the unusual way his subconscious had been acting ever since Pierce had escaped from the Backdraft's prison. **_~He's right! Now that I think of it, I am getting everything I've wanted: Pierce, my full-fledged piloting abilities…~ _**a look of sadness and apology appeared on his face, which really didn't matter, because Wild Eagle didn't have to see the emotion to comprehend the feeling.

                "Gee, I'm sorry. I almost forgot."

                **_/ __Almost? _****You haven't thought about it once****! And don't lie, either. I can hear all your thoughts, ya' know… / Jamie wanted to give a logical reason, not as much as he wanted to find a solution, but he couldn't think of anything to calm his inner friend.**

                "I don't know what to say…"

                **_/ Why don't you start with trying to say something about helping so I don't disappear. /_**

                "That's because, I can't." Jamie was sincere in his reply, but Wild Eagle was growing more enraged with each answer, much more than he should have, really. He finally snapped.

                **_/ WADDA YA' MEAN, YOU _**_CAN'T**! /**_ Jamie's head was ringing violently, and it started a throb, which easily agitated him. How could he think when there was a yelling going on within his mind that he simply could not escape? Responding more nastily than he felt, he lashed out at his partner because of his own failure at consolation.

                "How should I know? **_You're _**the one who made out it to be no big deal."

                **_/ _**_Me**? Wadda mean, **me**? /**_

                "You told me that you were going to help me and then leave. How was **_I _**to know that you were gonna start liking it here? **_I _**never even knew about Pierce! **_I _**never asked for all this! **_I_**…" Wild Eagle cut him off, silencing him as he defended his side of the argument.

                **_/ It's all about you, isn't it? I want Pierce! I wanna be more confident! I wanna be a better pilot! What about what I want, huh? As for you never asking for all of this, I don't see you complaining, either! /_** Jamie was furious. He didn't like being backed in a corner with unjust accusations, though full of reason as they were, they still were impractical and the argument was leading nowhere fast.

                "Well, for your information, I never **_asked_** for you to be created! If this bothers you so much, why didn't you just let me die back there, before all of this started?"

                **_/ Is that what you really wanted me to do? / _**Wild Eagle retorted, full of bitterness in his tone that would make a lemon seem like brown sugar. Jamie hesitated, clouded by anger in his judgment, and he could feel the rage building up inside of him yet again. To rise to the occasion, he also responded with a painful statement.

                "YES! Yes, I wish you would have just let me die! That way, Pierce and Stoler wouldn't be in all this trouble, we would be making money in regular Zoid battles, and you wouldn't be putting problems in my face that I can't solve! Tough luck!" If Wild Eagle had his own heart, it would have sunk right about now, and yet, he still couldn't back down. Out of things to say, he resorted to last resorts.

                **_/ FINE! /_**

                "FINE!" With that, the two returned to their silence towards each other, now with more reason than ever. Jamie stormed out the room, and Wild Eagle stormed to wherever he could inside of Jamie's mind. The tone of the day's remnants, now night, was depressing. Jamie simply could not go to sleep. Cuddling next to Pierce, he still couldn't help muttering under his breath, which Pierce noticed, because it ruined the mood. Others were also paying attention.

                "Jamie? Are you all right?" No answer. "JAMIE!" Pierce startled Jamie, who woke up out of his trance in a confused daze.

                "Huh? What? Where… oh, sorry Pierce."

                "What's wrong?" No one could deny the concern in her voice, and no one would deny that they wee eavesdropping on this conversation the entire time, either. Luckily for them, Pierce was too busy tending to her love.

                "Nothing really, just  thinking about a lot of stuff."

                "Aww… poor baby…" she cooed, kissing him softly yet sympathetically on the side of his forehead. At this moment, looking at how beautiful and simply… perfect she was in every way, he realized that through his own inner quarrels, he had been deceiving her the entire time as well. **_~How can I just lie to her like this? I gotta at least tell her the truth…~ _**He hesitated. **_~Even if it means she'll hate me for it…~_**

                "Uh, Pierce?" he asked, more so uncertain about what he would actually say. She turned to him, giving her full attention but not losing one bit of the concern her expression showed.

                "I've got something I need to tell you…"

_____________

                At the Backdraft base, Tirano entered the main hall to find soldiers scurrying about in all directions, tending to whatever orders they had been assigned. His subordinates appeared behind him, still wiping their eyes.

                "Had a good night's sleep, men?"

                "No…"

                "Not really…"

                "Good, because we've got work to do this morning. Follow me." The three men set out, searching the base for any signs of Layon. It was huge, perhaps rivaling the corporation run by Tirano's father. His subordinates complained that it was easy to get lost here, but Tirano, fascinated by everything he saw — the research on energy shields, the Hellcats appearing and fading out, and the War Sharks and Storm Sworders in the hangar — was more than thrilled. He memorized every twist and turn that he took until he finally returned to the main hall. The only thing that confused him was where Layon could be.

                "See? Told you we wouldn't get lost!" His subordinates groaned under his beaming smile, wishing they could go back to bed, or simply just to get away from him.

                "Welcome!" The three turned to see Layon, standing by the entrance to the dormitory from which they had come. "I see you're all up bright and early. I was going to show you all a tour, but I guess you've already done that part yourselves. That's a good thing, because for this mission you're going to need to be familiar with this base."

                "Interesting place you got here, doc."

                "It's not mine, but I am really important here, and now, if you'll follow me…" he suggested, "… we can move into the briefing room." Tirano, who had no trouble keeping up, dragged his subordinates along, keeping them close. They continued walking until Layon stopped in front of a door, opening it, and insisting that they enter first. He closed the door behind him after everyone had entered. "You're already familiar with what we'll be using for this plan, right?" The three nodded, signaling to Layon that he could continue.

                "We could just have an all-out barrage on the Tauros base, which is something I'm not sure would bother you, but there are details that prevent me from doing that."

                "Like what?" Tirano asked, trying to take in every piece of information possible.

                "Well, storming them and destroying all of their Zoids would be easy, too easy. That's not at all what this mission will be about. I have to acquire the Raynos. If this test is successful, I'll also be able to get the Liger Zero sooner or later."

                "What's a Liger?"

                "Certainly, you remember the white, tiger-like Zoid from your last fight. You know, the one that changed blue?" Tirano nodded in comprehension. He remembered that Zoid all too clear. It had amazed him in basically the same way that the Raynos had. "Well, that, my friends, is an Ultimate X, the very Zoid we've been searching for, but listen carefully, because there is a connection between it and the Raynos." All three could not help becoming more attentive, and the subordinates suddenly woke in a jump.

                "Nice of you all to be paying attention. The Ultimate X is something created from the fusion of a regular Zoid and the Organoid species that died long ago. This fusion allows Zoids to learn from their mistakes, ultimately improving their capabilities and expanding their full potential with the system it creates. The Zoids choose a pilot who they deem worthy, who is responsible for bringing this potential out, so the Zoids get better over time. The Liger is a rare Ultimate X, and because of its transformation capabilities, it can handle a varying range of situations. However…" his voiced faded off, and his audience couldn't help getting more intrigued by his explanation. "… there was a system created by man to enhance these capabilities. It allowed the Zoid to create new attacks, such as what you saw with the Raynos. This is an extreme advantage for us, because unlike the Ultimate X, it doesn't need a chosen pilot. All it needs is to tap into the raw emotion of its pilot, and just like the Ultimate X, these things take place based on the current situation. If the two systems merge, then it will override the Ultimate X's policy to choose a pilot."

                "So what you're saying…" suggested Tirano, who grew confused towards the end.

                "In other words, anyone could pilot the Ultimate X. There's just one problem though. Those who aren't chosen can suffer extreme damage from the man-made system, as once the attack is learned, it stays in the system, getting stronger every time it's used. Eventually, it can become too powerful for un-chosen pilots to handle, and…"

                "I see. So the Ultimate X system sets up the pilot, and it can tell who can handle the new system."

                "Exactly."

                "It sounds interesting. Wouldn't mind testing it out myself."

                "You won't if our plan ends up destroying it. Also… I want you to be careful not to kill the pilot of the blue Gun Sniper…"

                "What for?"

                "I owe her mother that much…"

                "I see… this Tauros guy took her mother from you." At this, Layon broke into an explanation that went on for about a half hour, cursing and breaking into tears at certain points, which put Tirano's subordinates to sleep. Tirano, however, was not really bored. He could actually care less, as he was about to get something that he desperately wanted.

                "I hear ya, doc. We're gonna go get 'em back and make that Tauros bastard pay for ever crossing you!" At this, Layon cheered up, and his evil grin appeared on his face once again. The nature of the grin deeply unnerved Tirano, more so because he was used to dealing it, not taking it in.

                "Well, then, here's the plan. Part one: The Bait. I'll be luring Tauros out, and it will be a lure that not even he can turn down."

                "I'm listening, so what will my gang be doing?"

                "Part two… that's where you come in. You'll be gathering your forces, grouping them for the assault and waiting for my signal."

                "What exactly **_is _**this bait?"

                "I plan to end this, challenging Tauros to an unofficial, un-judged Zoid battle."

                "Hmm? So if you want us to interfere, why would you even go through with the battle? You'd never finish it."  
                "That's the beauty of it. You'll be **_standing by _**until I give the word. I wanna resolve the battle myself. I get the last laugh, win or lose. If I beat him, you would cover my escape as I dragged him and whatever Zoid he's piloting back to safety, and we would retreat. If I lose, you'd still cover my escape and carry his Zoid away."

                "But what about the Raynos?"  
                "I WAS JUST GETTING TO THAT!"

                "Okay! Sheesh! You have the floor, oh wise master."

                "I don't appreciate the sarcasm… in any case, with Tauros in custody, they'll have no choice to fork over the Raynos to me. I'll also look forward to testing this plan on the Liger Zero, the Gun Snipers, the Red Blade Liger, and all Lightning Saixes that they have, but knowing them, once I have Tauros, they won't just surrender, so we'll take them by force. Part three: **_That_** is where you'll get your revenge!"

                "I see… a fool-proof plan. It's brilliant! I can't wait to see the faces on the Raynos and the Storm Sworder pilots."

                "Well then, is it a deal?"

                "You bet!" The two smirked evilly, forming a strong handshake. Layon burst into a laughter that startled Tirano's subordinates form their sleep and filled the entire base with a dark feel, which was not entirely inaccurate. This was truly a dark day.

_____________

                "What? You mean, you've got two personalities?"

                "Yeah…"

                "Why didn't you tell me?"

                "I was afraid you'd think I was nuts."

                "Yeah, NUTS THAT YOU DIDN'T TELL ME! All of this was a lie, is that what you're telling me?"

                "No! It's not a lie! There are parts that both of us out into this! If it wasn't for him, I woulda never met you…" Pierce calmed down, her yells reduced to mere stutters.

                "Wh-wha-wadda ya m-mean, if you never met me?"

                "That day that we fought in the air, the day you knocked me out of the sky, I passed out. I don't remember anything at all from that day. I was told that I spiraled out of control, falling freely to my doom. Bit couldn't help me, **_no one _**could help me. Just as I was about to crash, I pulled out somehow, but it wasn't me. That whole day, after we won, everyone kept congratulating me on something I knew I couldn't do… they kept calling me the Wild Eagle. I spent that whole day trying to figure out how we'd won, why I couldn't remember, why they kept calling me that, that name." His voice was trembling as he said each word. He could not help letting his hands do the same. "Then that night, he spoke to me, explained everything that happened in a way that no one else could have done. That night, he told me about you." Pierce froze.

                "M-me?"

                "Yeah, at first, I just thought he was playing games, but ever since he was created, I couldn't help trusting him, as he guided me closer to my dreams every step of the way. I guess, that because he was part of me, he knew how I'd feel about meeting you. He said he was born to help me reach my full flying potential, but he promised he wouldn't leave until…" Jamie continued explaining what had happened, and how he'd planned to get the two of them together.

                "But what about those words you said? Were they all from, **_him_**?"  
                "No, they were from me." Once again, Jamie went into detail about who did what, how Wild Eagle had been the one to shoot her down and plan her second defeat, about how Wild Eagle was the one she met, about how Wild Eagle had been the one to save her from the gang, but then, he trailed off into everything he had done, about the things he'd wrote to her, about how he'd come to rescue her, about everything that Wild Eagle had done to flatter and lighten her heart, and about how he'd done everything to get closer to it. Pierce was practically in tears after every realization, and he tried to hug her, to console her,  but she pushed him away.

                "I need time to take all of this in. You understand…" Jamie nodded sullenly, and watched in pain as she walked off. **_~She might never forgive me…~_**

                Walking away, she wandered off to the hangar, where she felt she could be alone. **_~How could he do that to me? Play with my emotions… doesn't he care?~ _**She arrived, but even though she felt she was alone, her peace was dropped when she saw Bit looking up at his Liger.

                "Yeah! That's right, boy. We've got the ultimate team right here in our base. No one can beat us!" He turned to Pierce. "Oh, hey Pierce, didn't see ya'… what's wrong?" He walked over, trying to figure out why the green-haired beauty was wiping tears from her eyes, and she explained to him about Jamie and the Wild Eagle. "Oh, so you know about that?"

                "You mean, you all knew?"

                "Of course we did. Of course, Jamie didn't tell us, even though we suspected it for a long time. Doc was the one who found out and confronted him."

                "You're not mad?"

                "Naw, why should I be?"

                "Why **_should _**you? Because he lied, that's why!"

                "And what reasons would he have to lie?" Pierce couldn't answer. "Seems to me he was afraid what everyone would think. He hadn't even told us about you. He was afraid he'd scare everybody, scare you…"  
                "But everything he's done… don't you ever wonder which one does what?"

                "Nah!" Bit let out a large yawn, and scratched his head. "Course not. The way I see it, they're both two parts of the same whole. You couldn't have one without the other, or else you wouldn't have Jamie." Pierce was beginning to falter.

                "Yeah, guess you're right…"

                "Really? That's a first! Everyone round here ignores what I say." Pierce had to giggle at his remark. "See? I knew you'd smile. The way I see it, he cares about you too much to hurt you, and if he told you, it was probably because he felt it was wrong for him not to be straight with you. I say you should go talk to him, straighten everything out." Pierce's expression returned to a smile, full of gratitude. As she walked off she turned back to Bit, who had begun walking back to his Liger.

                "Bit?"

                "Hmm?"

                "Did you really mean it, what you said about them both being a part of him?"

                "Yeah, I mean, I know I'm the greatest pilot that ever lived, but I wouldn't be me if I wasn't always fighting with Leena, now would I?"  
                "No, I guess not…"  
                "C'mon Liger, let's go for a quick run outside!" The Liger growled softly in agreement, but their plans were stopped short by the sound of a Zoid outside.

                "Tauros! Come out and face me!" It was Layon, who seemed to be piloting a War Shark. Everyone hurried into the main room to turn on the com-link. Dr. Tauros was the one to do all of the talking.

                "What's the big idea, coming here unannounced? What do you want?"

                "I just want a friendly Zoids battle…"

                "I don't accept." Layon face faulted.

                "WHAAT? You've gotta accept, c'mon?"

                "Nope, I don't think so…"

                "Please?" Layon's demands were reduced to mere pleas, nothing but begging that seriously disturbed his backup, which remained unseen in the distance, mainly due to the stealth shields installed to all of their Zoids.  
                "Tirano? Are you sure this guy's all there?

                "Yeah, he may be a little weird, but he definitely knows what he's doing."

                "If you say so…" Regardless of the Jurassic Team Gang's skeptical comments, Layon continued to beg Tauros for a battle.

                "Oh, pleeaaase? I'll give you fifty times the prize money!" Tauros couldn't help but look astonished.

                "F-fif-fifty? In that case I'll accept. What are the rules." Layon's face twisted into a smirk.

                "Just you and me… a battle to determine who's better." The entire room was filled with shock. No one could believe what Layon was suggesting.

                "Dad! You can't seriously be considering…"

                "Doc! It's a trick, you know it!"

                "C'mon doc, don't let 'em push you around with these cheap lures."

                "Hey doc, I know it's a risk, but considering the prize money--"

                "BRAD!"

                "Okay, Naomi, sheesh… just asking. It's not worth it doc, no matter how tempting it is."

                Tauros stood still for about ten seconds, thinking things through. He finally changed his position, turning to his assembled allies to speak.

                "Sorry, but I gotta…"

                "Dad! I know I'm not on the team anymore, but you can't possibly trust this guy after everything he's done."

                "Relax, it'll be fine! After all… I am the better Zoids pilot."

                "WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT!" Layon barked. Everyone's ears received a sharp pain, and they were forced to cover them.

                "The question is, what Zoid can I use? I don't have my own…"

                "You can use mine!" Everyone immediately turned in the direction of Pierce, who had blurted her response out in the middle of nowhere.

                "You can't be serious!" Jamie exclaimed. "I know it's one of the best Zoids we've got, but, it's too risky. You might never get it back.

                "I know, but it's the most expendable. I'm not on a team anymore, and my Zoid was modified in the Backdraft, so it has some of the tricks that the War Shark might have. It'll be fine."

                "Take the Elephandor, if that's the case." Now, everyone turned to Stoler. "I probably won't be piloting a Zoid again for a while. It's got an energy shield, so you'll be protected from bullets, and its offensive and defensive capabilities are extremely great."

                "Be that as it may," Tauros countered, "it's way too slow to compete with a War Shark. The shield only covers the land and it doesn't protect the underbelly of the Elephandor from the War Shark's attacks underneath it. Pierce, I appreciate you lending me your Storm Sworder." With that, despite any complaints from Leon, Leena, Bit, or Jamie, Tauros found his way back into the cockpit of a Zoid. "Besides," he later said to himself, "Layon's best piloting was in those kinds of Zoids, but mine was in the air, just like Oscar…" He engaged the system, and with a loud screech, the Storm Sworder flew out to meet its opponent.

                "It's been such a long time since I've flown, since I gave it all up to start a family…"

                "You ready, Tauros?"

                "Any time you are, Layon!"  
                "Then let's get started. As you know, there are no rules, so someone up there give us the signal to begin."

                "I'll do it," said Pierce. "It's my Zoid fighting, so I'll do it." The Storm Sworder hovered patiently, watching cautiously as its opponent sank back below the depths of the earth.

                "Ready… fight!"

                The Storm Sworder flew in the direction of the War Shark, the War Shark leaping out of the earth to ram at its aerial assailant. The fight had begun…


	7. The Taming of The Wild Eagle

Okay, I'm back, and it has been awhile, at least by my standards. I really appreciate those of you who have been taking the time to review my stories and I hope you'll continue to do so… I'm through playing, and now the writer in me will surface once more. Being that I've had plenty of time to think of where I'm taking this story, I've got so many ideas, but they'll all amount to squat if I don't put 'em where they matter… on ff.net.

*Disclaimer- I certainly do not own Zoids… yet.

All right, brace yourselves for…

Chapter 7

The Taming of the Wild Eagle 

                The Stormsworder and War Shark clashed violently, showing off their obvious strengths towards their aggressor. The battle had just begun, and everyone was waiting to see how much of a battle Tauros and Layon would put up. After ramming into each other, the War Shark returned beneath the sands, and the Stormsworder continued to circle overhead, countering the War Shark's circling beneath the earth. The battle left an air of great anticipation amongst the spectators, and everyone was trying to figure out if the battle would actually be a good one. The two Zoids lunged at each other again, and once more returned to their respective territories.

                "This battle is going to go nowhere fast," exclaimed Bit, who was obviously not impressed by the actions the two ex-pilots had taken thus far. "Why are they wasting time butting heads? Why don't they just blast each other?"

                "Because, Leena number two," Brad replied sharply, "they're sizing each other up. Give them a minute to finish, and the real battle will begin."

                "Wadda mean, 'real battle' ?"

                "Bit, you don't know anything about anything, do you?" Bit turned to frown at Leena for insulting him. "My father and Layon used to be Zoids pilots back in their day."

                "Really? No way!" Leena sighed at the apparent slowness of Bit's thinking.

                "Duh! I mean, that's what they would've had to do at a Zoids academy. Back then, wars and duels broke out almost all the time, so they trained a lot harder than we did. What they're doing right now is the standard duel sequence, where they clash several times before engaging in the battle. Dad told me this countless times."

                "Besides," Brad added, "the two Zoids they're piloting are their specialties, and they were both good back then. To be honest, I think we've got a good battle ahead of us."

                "Ya think so?"

                "Of course, Bit. They both rule their own elements, and can't attack each other directly unless they pull each other out of their element. I'd say this battle's a once in a lifetime treat."

                "Ya got that right…" Everyone turned to Ashley, who had been listening in the whole time. "Thos two and Oscar graduated at the top of their class."

                "Wait a sec. I thought you were at the top of the class."

                "No way, I was a year younger so I graduated a year later. I was on the top of my class though. Anyway, if I know these two, neither will be satisfied until the other is fully put outta commission." Everyone turned back to the screen, and watched as the two Zoids clashed for the final time, breaking their formations and preparing to attack each other far more viciously.

                "Okay, Layon! Let's see what ya got!"

                "Of course, Steve! Here it comes!" The War Shark climbed onto the sand, opening its mouth wide and revealing three powerful plasma guns, already storing energy for the shot. The Stormsworder had already been setting itself up to fly by with a resulting sonic boom, but it was now in Layon's range of fire, and would not arrive in time to strike.

                "I don't remember seeing that installed when we fought the Fuma Team," exclaimed Tauros.

                "Like it? I installed it myself. Wanna taste it?" Layon grinned as Tauros panicked.

                "Try me!" roared Tauros, who continued charging. Just as the War Shark fired, Tauros hit the booster switch, and the Stormsworder broke the sound barrier, dodging it but only by a few inches. The hull of the Stormsworder was shaken violently though, and Tauros found himself flinching. Nonetheless, he flew right past the War Shark, his sonic boom leveling the enemy and knocking it back into the depths of his sandy retreat.

                "Wow! Doc can break the sound barrier, too!" exclaimed Jamie, unable to believe the ease in which Tauros did what he had once been having trouble in doing himself. "All this time and he never told us." Of course, astonished as everyone was, the battle was far from over, as the Stormsworder now spent its time dodging plasma blasts pointed straight upward by the War Shark, which had positioned itself so that it could bob up and down beneath the sand to follow and fire below the Stormsworder. Tauros had a hard time maneuvering, but Layon still could not hit him. Tauros looped over, spiraling back to the earth and firing rapidly at his underground foe. Of course, Layon had the benefit of being able to dive again anytime Tauros came close, only to resurface and barrage Tauros once more.

                "Nice tricks, Layon! I see you haven't lost much experience!"

                "Neither have you, but that's not gonna save you for what I have in store!" Layon countered. Tauros just smiled.

                "How cute, you still believe you'll win," he taunted. Layon banged his fist on the cockpit's controls, and started shouting in a booming voice.

                "I WILL WIN! JUST WATCH ME!" Watching Layon grow furious only seemed to broaden the smile on Tauros' face.

                "Whatever, Layon-poo…"

                "Stop calling me that name!" Layon would have continued yelling hopelessly, but he suddenly remembered something. Before he had lost his cool, he was telling Tauros about the victory he foresaw. He had no reason to get mad if he was going to win anyway. Besides, if he could beat Tauros while his opponent tactlessly provoked him, he could make Tauros eat every last wisecrack that left his mouth.

                "I see what you're trying to do. You're trying to make me lose focus."

                "That's not hard to do 'cause you never **_had_** focus to begin with!" Tauros laughed, and Layon, who was trying his best not to get upset, simply smiled under a glowing red complexion in his face, trying his hardest to remain calm. Finally, he managed to smirk.

                "Being that I'm about to win anyway, I'll ignore what you just said and leave you to feel and look pretty stupid. You know, a couple more things to complement you actually **_being_** stupid!" It was Layon's turn to laugh, and the smile disappeared from Tauros' lips, replaced by a vein popping on his forehead.

                "Whatever, Layon, just make your move…" he growled. Layon just smiled broader.

                "With pleasure, Tauros…" he hissed. He dove back underground, popping up about a hundred yards away in a few seconds and jumping high into the sky.

                "Is that all, Layon? That's nothing new!" Tauros grew calm again, and returned to his cheery smile, but he stopped yet again as he noticed that Layon was still smiling, as well. "So, if that's not your trick, what is it?" he growled as the War Shark fell back to the wavy sands.

                "I'll show you. The Fuma Team pilots are good, I'll give you that…" Layon replied, but as his Zoid dove back to the sand, it bounced back up. Tauros gasped, watching the War Shark skip on the ground like a playful dolphin, which bounced higher and higher with each leap. Layon continued, "…but they're amateurs compared to me. They can't bring out this Zoid's full potential. This is phase one of my strategy."

                "So, what's next? You gonna beg for a fish, Flipper?"

                "Oh, nothing like that! I'll just play with you for awhile." Tauros snapped, firing repeatedly at the War Shark, but there was one problem; he was missing completely. Not one shot even so much as scratched the hull of the War Shark, and he had wasted half of his ammo before realizing this. He tried locking on, but he couldn't because his Zoid kept moving and, unfortunately, so did Layon's. Every time he almost locked on, he soared right past, and when he turned to face his opponent again, the War Shark was skipping around in an entirely different area. There was no way he could he it. 

"You see? I can't be hit, and you still haven't seen my attack to go along with this!" Layon was in his proudest hour, and his Zoid was still bouncing higher, slowly but surely, until it was even higher than the Stormsworder. Upon reaching this height, as the Stormsworder soared past from below, it opened fire, raining down missiles in a more advanced way than the Fuma Team could have ever fathomed. Tauros was hit hard, but he recollected himself and pulled out of his downward spiral. Of course, staying out of Layon's way was easy at first, until Layon used another tactic.

"The only reason you're still up is because I allow it, Tauros, but I'm through playing games! The missiles were an experiment and here's the real thing!" The War Shark launched back into the clear blue sky, and as it flopped through the air, the plasma cannons in its mouth storing energy with each passing second. Tauros froze for a second, watching in utter fear as the War Shark prepared to fire. He would have to break the sound barrier yet again. As Layon fired, he blasted through the air, and Layon cursed.

"Dammit, Tauros! Hold still!" The War Shark continued trying to blast at the Stormsworder, but was now missing as its opponent had been doing moments before. Tauros smiled.

"Well, Layon, it seems like you were planning on a quick win, but there's a flaw…"

"What makes you think I wanted this to end quick, and what do you mean a flaw? My strategies are top-notch!"

"Quit kidding yourself! You've been in this battle far too long, because now I've seen through your tricks and I can predict your every move. Ending this battle early was your only chance, and you blew it!" Layon cringed at the thought of losing to Tauros personally.

"You're bluffing…"

"Am I? I don't seem to think so. When you were bouncing, if you would've caught me with that plasma beam, I'd be finished, but letting me go into Mach 3 was your mistake. Every time you jump into the air, you leave yourself vulnerable, and with me breaking the sound barrier right now…" Tauros' expression turned into pure joy, a smile curving on his lips.

"No…" Layon couldn't believe what he was hearing. "It-it can't be!"

"Say goodbye…" Tauros blasted past the War Shark, the sonic boom hitting it in mid-air. It was knocked higher, and as it fell again, the Stormsworder soared past, hitting it again with a sonic boom. This process repeated itself for about ten times until Tauros concluded he had weakened it enough and began to open fire. The War Shark's system froze. As Layon cursed, he reached for the button to his com-link.

"Hey, Layon! Where's our prize money? Don't forget, it's fifty times, not five." Tauros was overwhelmed with joy and triumph, but nothing would prepare him for what was about to happen.

"Tirano! Move in, now!"

"Tirano? C'mon guys! We gotta get to our Zoids. Hurry!" Even with the help coming for him, Tauros was forced to fight this battle alone, which was definitely not even capable of being called a fight. Outnumbered and overpowered in every way, Tauros was blasted out of the sky by hundreds of Iron Kongs and Red Raptors. As the Liger Zero, the Gun Snipers, Lightning Saix, and the Raynos left the hangar, they were bombarded relentlessly by Hellcats. There was no way they could reach the Stormsworder, which was being carried back into the energy shields by three Iron Kongs. Pierce could only stand in the window, screaming. She couldn't bear to see her Zoid being captured, and an uneasy thought struck her mind; Layon planned to destroy it before, would he still do it now? Raynos flew of in the distance to retrieve the stolen Stormsworder.

"Doc! Ahh!" he screamed as the shots he fired hit him back. In seconds, he was on the ground, and he was surrounded by seven Red Raptors. ~Great. I'm not gonna make it outta here.~

"Well, look what the doc dragged in." Jamie could recognize that snicker anywhere. Tirano was piloting a Red Raptor. "So, you finally bow before me. How's that girl been doing?"

"Better than you. I can smell your breath through the com-link!"

"Why you little-- fire!" The Red Raptors unleashed a barrage on Jamie's Raynos, and he was knocked unconscious.

"JAMIE!" screamed Bit, who couldn't help his fallen comrade because his hands were full trying to locate the Hellcats.

"Jamie? Wild Eagle? You there?" Leena called. No answer. She tried again, but still couldn't get an answer. Why wasn't the Wild Eagle taking over? / Hmmph! So he just wanted me to let him die, huh? Fine! It's no skin off my nose. I'm not even real! / 

Wild Eagle could not let the incidents of the previous night go, and he kept grumbling. Of course, Jamie was unconscious, and he couldn't hear these thoughts. / All I wanted was for you to at least try to help me, but ya couldn't even do that! Look at you, look at **_us_**! Pathetic! Ya can't even help yourself. Serves you right… / But he didn't really feel that way, not in the least. He actually felt guilty that he was just going to let himself die, but his anger over Jamie restrained him from saying that. His thoughts were interrupted by Layon over the radio.

"Idiots! I said capture it, not mangle it!"

"Well, guys, you heard the boss." The Red Raptors hoisted the Raynos, planning to carry him to the energy shield.

"Put it down! We'll get him later."

"B-bu-but-but doctor Lay--"

"Quiet! Are you questioning me?" All of Tirano's gang shuddered.  "We can come back later, I promise. I just don't you getting too greedy. That's how things go wrong." Before they could put him down, he was dropped roughly, as well as several of his aggressors. To his right, in the far distance were Leon with the Red Blade Liger, Stoler with the Elephandor, and Brad with the Command Wolf.

"Jamie, get outta here! We'll take care of the rest!"

"Thanks, I'll get doc."

"You're not goin' anywhere!" shouted Tirano, who was preparing to attack the Raynos once more. Layon called him again.

"Tirano, stop! It's too risky. Get your men outta there. The Raynos can't harm our shields, anyway." Tirano calmed.

"Roger that… all Red Raptors in the area. If you can still move, carry those out who can't. We're gettin' outta here." Jamie ignored the evacuating forces and blasted desperately at the energy shield. It almost seemed as though God were not on his side. He kept thinking about what would happen to Tauros, and a thought struck him sharply. ~It's all my fault… I let him get captured. If it weren't for me, we wouldn't be here.~ Jamie started trembling. ~Even if the Wild Eagle was the one who fought Tirano's gang, he's still a part of me. It's all my fault.~ He felt himself gripping the control stick tightly, so tight he felt it would have snapped at any second, and anger surged through him.

"I won't let them down, not this time!" As he shouted in all his fury, the screen on his cockpit started to flash the usual message for his attack. "Right, Raynos, let's gooo!" He soared high up in the air. Layon, who had managed to get back to safety with Tauros, was the only one who noticed this amidst all of the confusion.

"So this is the Raynos' special attack… interesting." A smile twisted on his face yet again. "Let him try to break the energy shield all he likes. The question is, can he handle the attack without the force of impact from my shield? I know the strength of the attack keeps getting stronger. If he can break it, he deserves to get Tauros back." He chuckled to himself, and watched as the Raynos dove back down, starting to spin faster and faster with each passing second. "Incredible!"

"Whiiiiiiiirlwiind Fuuuuuuryyyy!" The violent tornado clashed with the shield, and all fighting ceased as both sides watched the attack. The Blitz Team and its allies were gripping their seats full of anticipation, hoping that Jamie would succeed…

_C'mon, Jamie…_

_You can do it!_

_We're countin on ya, kid…_

_You're the only one that can save my dad!_

…On the same note, Tirano was extremely fearful; he had seen the attack twice and knew very well what it was capable of. Layon just continued to smile. "Hey, Layon! I thought you said this shield could take anything!"

                "Patience, Tirano. This is the moment of truth. My plan won't fail, I know it!" The Raynos continued to twist and turn, trying its hardest to drill through the enemy defenses, grinding viciously. A minute passed, and Jamie was feeling light-headed. The force of the attack, now stronger than ever, was starting to get to him.

                "I don't know how much more I can take-- argghh!" The attack was broken, and the Raynos flew violently through the air, crashing to the ground. Jamie was fully unconscious.

____________

"Jamie!" Pierce screamed, as she ran down to the hangar entrance. She noticed a Pteras, which she couldn't remember being there, and her heart was pounding fiercely. She heard footsteps nearing her, and she turned, ready to face the worst when…

                "Excuse me, miss. Steve told me to get here as soon as possible, and I can't find him anywhere."

                "Are you… Jamie's dad?" She stood gawking at him, for a moment longer, and he finally broke the silence, slapping her lightly on the shoulder.

                "That's me! Oscar Hemeros, pleased to meet you!" She wanted to smile, but there was something more important at hand. **_~He didn't see them outside? He's not gonna like what I have to say.~ _**Oscar was a little confused. After all, you usually greet someone back after they've greeted you.

                "Is something wrong, miss?"

                "No time to explain! Jamie's in danger!"

                "What? How?"

                "There's a fierce battle going on outside, and he's hurt. I can't explain anything else."

                "Let me see! Take me to the control room."

                "What? Aren't you gonna take the Pteras back out?"

                "Can't. It barely made it here. I won't be able to bring him back." Pierce was practically on the verge of tears. **_~He's out there, and I might never see him again….~_** Oscar held her by the shoulders, and she was forced to look directly in his eyes. "Look, I'll do whatever I can.. Ya gotta stay calm, cause this ain't gonna help him. Let's go to the control room and see if we can't help at all."

                Back up there, the two surveyed the battle scene. Bit and company had managed to defeat most of the Hellcats, and those not defeated were retreating with their men anyway. The Red Raptors were moving in on the Raynos, and it was quite apparent that they had been ordered to capture it. Oscar got an idea.

                "Bit! Come back to the base immediately."

                "What for?"

                "So we can save Jamie." Bit returned and Oscar told him to transform the Liger into the Schneider.

                "Why not Jager? He's much faster."

                "If you use Jager, you'll risk damaging Jamie when you're running at top speed, so Schneider's the best way to go." Seconds later, Bit was in the transformation room, removing his Liger Zero armor.

                "Liger Zero, now converting into Liger… Schneider!" In not time at all, the white Liger was replaced with a red one, ready to be launched back onto the battlefield.

                "Liger Zero Schneider, CAS complete!" Bit returned just in time to see the Red Raptors looming over the crashed Raynos. Jamie still had not regained consciousness. Schneider raced as fast as it could towards the Red Raptors, and its blades took their usual position. ~I hope he makes it in time,~ thought a worried Pierce.

                "Busteeeer Slaaassh!" The Schneider ripped through the Red Raptors, and reduced them to a dilapidated pile of rubble. "Somebody! Help me carry the Raynos outta here!"

                "I'll do it!" Ashley came over to help Bit with Jamie's Zoid. "The rest of you should do something about the enemies you've taken out."

                "Right. We'll handle that!" Brad responded. "Pierce, get ready to contact the Zoids Battle Commission. We'll round up these guys!"

                "You'll do no such thing!" barked Layon, who signaled for the barrage behind the energy shield to continue. "Tirano, I'll cover you while you get your men out of there. Our mission is complete. Evacuate at once."

                "Roger. All right guys, you heard him. Move out!" The Schneider and Gun Sniper Legend carried the Raynos back to base, while the other Zoids covered their escape. About ten minutes later, Tirano's gang had fully disappeared from sight. Within the hour, the Raynos had been place carefully in the hangar, with Jamie being placed in the recovery room just as carefully. The rest of the team waited in the living room of the Tauros base  while Ashley and Leon tended to Jamie's wounds.

                "How could all of this happen?" Bit thought aloud, pacing back and forth. "How could things go so terribly wrong? Jamie…" Leena finally stood up, and escorted Bit to the couch, a look of extreme concern in her face.

                "All this worrying won't help him, Bit. We can only hope he'll be fine. Pierce, why don't you go check on him? He could use your company right about now." Pierce, who had been sitting there the whoe time, looking down at the ground gloomily, stood up and looked at Leena like she didn't deserve any consolation. "What's wrong?"

                "It's all my fault."

                "Wadda ya talking about? It isn't your fault!"

                "Yes, it is! Your father wouldn't have been captured if it wasn't for me, and Jamie wouldn't be…" she choked on her last words. She couldn't even think about the fact that Jamie was laying in the recovery room, probably hurt beyond repair.

                "Look, it's not your fault. Layon's had a score to settle with Doc for the longest," Bit said, trying his hardest to reassure Pierce that she was not to blame. "Look, if you're feeling guilty about what you told me earlier, forget it. That's got nothing to do with anything going on right now. Jamie's gonna pull through, I know it. His gentler side wouldn't leave you behind, Pierce, and I know Wild Eagle's too stubborn to let him die. I promise you, he'll be okay. Go check on him."

                "Thanks," she finally managed to say, and she walked out of the living room."

______________

In the recovery room, Jamie remained still, with no signs of possible movement at all. Wild Eagle was still conscious, however, and was conscious through the whole thing. Leon was at Jamie's bedside, and Ashley was by the sink, washing her hands.

"Ashley, I have a question."

"What is it, Leon?"

"Jamie's got two personalities, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Ashley replied, turning to face Leon. She walked over and stood in front of him.

"Did you ever wonder why the Wild Eagle didn't take over this time?"

"What do you mean?"

"I heard that the Wild Eagle came out for the first time when Jamie was unconscious, and I know he came out when we fought the Jurassic Team Gang, so why didn't he come out this time?"

/Hmmph! Why didn't I come out? Jamie should know why. Ask him when he wakes up. /

"Are you really going to rely on part of Jamie's subconscious? Are you really going to blame a part of Jamie's mind?" Ashley asked, looking stern and wise, which made Leon listen attentively.

**_/ Just a part of your mind, huh, Jamie? I bet you think of me that way, too. Why the hell should you care? I was only meant to help you and disappear, but did you ever think once that I was more than a part of you? I don't think you did. You didn't do a lot of things. You didn't consider my feelings, you didn't concern yourself with my troubles, and… you didn't treat me like an equal. What do I mean to you, Jamie? /_**

"But, he's been there for Jamie every other time. It just doesn't make sense…" Leon looked down to the floor.

**_/ Once again, ask Jamie. You know why, don't ya, Jamie? According to you, I shoulda never saved you in the first place! Didn't you say you wished I would've just let you die? That's pretty selfish, considering that except for Tauros and your injury, you've got everything great going for you. Maybe I should've just left you, so tell me why I didn't! I'm just a part of your mind, so you should have all the answers. I didn't ask to be born, ya know. It's not right that you took your anger out on me. I thought we were friends! /_**

"Try not to think about it. Jamie's going to be fine, with or without Wild Eagle." Ashley sat down beside Leon.

**_/ I guess you were right, you don't need me… not the way I need you at least. All I asked for was  some understanding, and you turned it into blame… maybe it is my fault. Pierce wouldn't have been captured if we weren't spotted that night on our date. I'm sure that's when they saw us. You wouldn't even be laying here if I would've just saved you from crashing, but you don't need me… no one does. / _**Just then, the sound of the door opening caught Wild Eagle's attention. The voice sounded familiar. **_/ Pierce? She doesn't even want me. I was the one that started that fight with Tirano and his gang… /_**Ashley and Leon stood.

"Yes, Pierce?"

"I, um… just came to check on him. I've been worried sick, and I just wanted--" Ashley smiled.

"Please, by all means… take your time. We'll even let you stay with him for awhile." Signaling over to Leon, the two exited the room, leaving Pierce behind. She sat where Leon had, and looked down on Jamie's emotionless face.

"Jamie?"

**_/ Go on… she's calling you. Wake up. You don't belong here, not with me… just a part of your mind./_** What he heard next completely caught him off guard.

"Jamie, Wild Eagle, I don't care. Can your hear me?"

**_/ Huh? Why's she calling me? Probably to blame me, too… /_**

"Look, I'm sorry. I never meant to lash out on you when you told me about your split personality. But… ya gotta admit, it was a shock. I shouldn't have gotten mad. Maybe you wouldn't be like this if I didn't take it the wrong way."

**_/ Wha--? That's nonsense! C'mon, Jamie, wake up and calm her. Tell her it's not her fault about any of this. Don't let her feel bad about something she didn't do. Jamie? C'mon! I know you're stronger than this. I apologized… why won't you wake up? /_**

"All I know is, I love every part of you. It was the Wild Eagle I met, remember?"

**_/ … did she just say she loves me? /_**

"I love you Jamie, with your gentleness, your understanding when I confide I in you… I love the Wild Eagle part of you, with his confidence, his suaveness, his way of always knowing what to say to make me feel good…"

**_/ Jamie… don't do this to her… wake up. Don't leave her alone… /_**

"Please, if there's any part of you listening, talk to me…" Tears were streaming down Pierce's cheeks, and Wild Eagle couldn't take it any more. Suddenly, Jamie's eyes opened. "J-Jamie?"

"No…"

"Wild… Eagle?" Wild Eagle managed to nod his head, despite his injuries. "I guess you blame this on me..." Wild Eagle rose up painfully from the bed.

"Never! I would never blame anything on you!" Wild Eagle groaned in agony from his sudden outburst, and Pierce looked at him pleadingly to calm down.  Returning to his resting position, he spoke in a normal tone. "This wasn't your fault, it was mine…" 

"What are you talking about?"

"Jamie passed out… and I was conscious the whole time, yet I didn't do anything…" Pierce looked at him in astonishment; she couldn't understand why he would even so much as hesitate, and her expression beckoned for him to continue. "That day Jamie came to you… we had a fight… it didn't go well…" Pierce sat there, listening as calmly as was possible for her at the time; while her face remained perfectly calm, her hands were gripping the sheets firmly. As upset she was, she willed herself to hear him out. "I'm just a part of Jamie's mind… when he doesn't need me anymore, I'll disappear… I was upset because he didn't seem to care, and… I guess I took it out on him."

"But, shouldn't you be glad for Jamie?"

"Of course, but, I've really started to like this place. I don't wanna leave everything behind."

"Why should it matter if you're only a part of him?"

"Because, I felt like I was his friend, not some part of someone's mind." Pierce was beginning to understand Wild Eagle's perspective.

"I see… but if you were his friend, why didn't you pull up when he passed out?"

"He said something to me… that really hurt me…"

"What did he say? Nothing he could've said would've been that painful."

"Oh, no? You try havin' someone tell you they wish you would've just let them die!" Wild Eagle roared. Pierce couldn't move. ~So, that's what happened…~

"That's right!" he continued, "He said that he wished that in that first battle you two fought that I would've never saved him. Even if I am just a part of his mind, how can someone say something like that? All I've been trying to do was help and he just casts me aside like I'm worthless… You… don't really know how that feels."

"Stop being so selfish!"

"Selfish?"

"Yeah, that's right. You don't think I know how it feels? I devoted my life to the Backdraft and they were ready to kill me without hesitation! Stoler did everything he could to protect me, and now, he's in just as much trouble as I am! Don't you tell me that I don't know… that I don't understand!" Wild Eagle remained silent, as she unleashed her anger upon him. "How could you be so selfish? It's because of you that Jamie hasn't woken up yet, and all you can do is wallow in self-pity!"

"Hold on! My wanting to stay is selfish? What about him just diving into Tirano's gang like that? That's selfish! He wasn't even thinking about leaving you guys behind, and he definitely wasn't thinking about me!"

"There's that selfishness again! He was willing to sacrifice himself for doctor Tauros. Why aren't you willing to sacrifice your life for him? I thought you were stronger than that." Pierce's face was burning, her eyes swelling with tears. She never felt this angry before, and Wild Eagle was pained to see her practically on the verge of crying.

"I'm… sorry."

"You're damn right you're sorry! I guess that when you were thinking about letting him die, you weren't thinking about what would happen to you when he did."

"Of course I was! If he dies, then I die! So? That's what he said he wanted!"

"You coward…"

"**_I'm _**a coward? **_He's _**the one who was just gonna throw his life away!"

"No! He was trying to save everyone else's life! You were the one who was just going to throw it away! Let me ask you this. Do you really think you're not worth anything?"

"… what kind of question is that?"

"Just answer the question!"

"…no…"

"Well then, do you realize how much you mean to all of us? We think of you the same way we think of him! Now, let me ask you this. Do you think **_he_** didn't think you were worth anything?" Wild Eagle couldn't think of a good answer.

"I don't know…"

"Yeah, you do! You just don't wanna admit it. He trusted you with his life. How couldn't he care about you? He trusted you to help him fly better, and to bring us together. He trusted you out there, too, and you betrayed him." Pierce was sobbing. "How- how could you?"

"But, if he cared about me so much, why didn't he take my problem more seriously?"

"How could he help you? You gave him a problem he couldn't solve, and then you lashed at him when he couldn't solve it. What kind of friendship is that? Don't you think he wanted to help?"

"But, he never even thought about it!"

"That's because he was happy to have you there. He told me how concerned he was that you were being so quiet, and how much he hoped you would be okay. Don't you see? He wanted more than anything to help you, even if he didn't know how or what he was helping you with."

"I'm sorry… look, I can't tell you how sorry I am… you're right. I was afraid of death, and I didn't think about how he felt. I don't know how I can try to make up for what I've done, but I'll try." Pierce turned her back, and try as he might, he still wasn't strong enough to reach a hand out to comfort her. "Look, please go… I'm gonna do my best to bring Jamie back, but he needs his rest." Pierce got up, and as she walked towards the door, she still had one more question.

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"Yeah… I wouldn't even be able to talk to you if he wasn't." Pierce left, and Wild Eagle returned Jamie's body to its deep sleep. A day and a half passed, and there were still no signs that he was going to wake up, but Pierce, who believed what Wild Eagle told, her, held on to her fragile hope that she would see Jamie alive and well again.

______________

                Layon was walking hastily toward the prison cells of the Backdraft base, behind him Tirano and a regular soldier. His smile had never reached this level of brightness. Normally, he smile out of arrogance and cockiness. This time, however, the only thing that seemed to seep out of his face was… pure joy. Turning a corner, he walked down a narrow corridor, and waited while the soldier unlocked the door on the end, humming gleefully as the soldier opened the door. He descended down a long, twisting staircase, and Tirano followed, but not in such a happy mood as Layon. If it weren't for the fact that he was working with Layon, he would have been growling right now. Layon, who stopped abruptly upon noticing this, turned around and faced his associate, beaming proudly.

                "What's the matter? You can't seriously be angry today. We've captured Tauros, my boy!" he said as he slapped Tirano on the back. Tirano simply stood there, not even reacting to the slap. This unnerved Layon a bit, but not enough to take any happiness from his expression. "Come on, tell me what's wrong." He could hear Tirano mutter something, but was unable to catch it. "I can't hear you."

                "… didn't… Raynos pilot…" was all he heard the second time as Tirano restated his muttered complaint. Layon simply smiled more; nothing could take his happiness away today.

                "Relax! I told you we'd get the Raynos pilot, and I'm always a man of my word. Right now, can't you at least smile since everything's going according to plan? Growling all the time is healthy, you know?" Tirano formed the fakest, feeblest smile on his face before Layon decided to continue walking. They continued down for about five minutes and reached the holding cells. There were a bunch of regular cells lined up on either side, but Layon paid no attention to any of these. His attention, however, was drawn to the last cell—a metal door at the end of the hall with a valve that seemed to be for more dangerous prisoners—and he proceeded to it, humming and completely ignoring Tirano, who had begun growling again the minute he turned his back. The soldier walked forward, turned the valve, and waited patiently for Layon and Tirano to step in.

                Inside were the makings of a torture chamber, with electrical shock equipment in one corner, and old-fashioned torture rack in the other, a vat that seemed like it was used to hold acid or boiling oil, and in the center of the room, on the wall across the chamber, was a man shackled by his arms in a white coat—Doctor Tauros. He looked up at them, and groaned as he drooped his head again, and it seemed like he muttered "Oh, no…" under his breath. He hadn't been harmed yet, but he knew it was possible with Layon in the room.

                "Um, sir…" the soldier began, a little uneasy from the scenery, "do you think that we should put him in **_this _**cell?" Layon looked at him in complete confusion.

                "Why? Is this enough? I could always put more security and torture equipment in here…"

                "Um, that's not what I meant. Don't you think this is a little too much for him?" Layon's smile faded.

                "Of course not… this will do just fine."

                "But, he's harmless…" The soldier shuddered and regretted saying anything a few seconds later, because Layon snapped on him.

                "HARMLESS? LOOK AT HIM!" he roared as he pointed at Tauros, who looked up again to see what all of the commotion was about.

                "Yeah, he looks harmless."

                "FOR GOD'S SAKE! HE'S EVIL!" Tauros grinned.

                "Yeah, I'm Satan in the flesh…" he said sarcastically, which only annoyed Layon even more. Tirano, who had been complaining the entire time, only sweatdropped, looking nervous at the entire scene. He was only relieved that he wasn't in Tauros' position.

                "SHUT UP, TAUROS!"

                "Whatever, Layon…" Tauros retorted, but his own smiled faded when Layon's began to resurface, and he felt a chill go down his spine as Layon began to chuckle as well.

                "Steven, Steven, Steven… you never knew when to keep your mouth shut. I'm sure you've seen all of the er… decorations in here… I hope you'll be a little more cooperative and… A LOT LESS ANNOYING! SHUT UP, DAMMIT!" Tauros cringed. He realized he couldn't afford to push any wrong buttons at the moment; Layon had the mentality of an unstable asylum patient. Tirano and the soldier backed away slowly, trembling in almost the same way that Tauros had. Layon turned to face them. "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?" Tirano gathered his courage and spoke, fear still seeping through his voice.

                "Uh… it's pretty apparent that you don't need us, so we'll just go… that is, if you don't mind..."

                "YOU'LL STAY RIGHT HERE!" Layon demanded, drawing two yelps from the two. His expression calmed down to mere growling, which was how he continued to talk. "I'll need all the help I can get with this one… you have no idea how tricky he can be… he thinks just like a criminal mastermind." At this, Tauros couldn't help but snicker, which really irritated Layon, who turned at that exact moment, but Tauros couldn't silence himself. Looking at Layon's face wasn't much help either, because it made Tauros burst out laughing. "You see? He's going insane right now!" Tauros roared even louder with laughter.

                "Something funny, Tauros?" he snarled. Tauros looked him directly in the eyes, still slightly laughing. The soldier took this opportunity to run, but Tirano was petrified with fear, and he had forgotten completely about the Wild Eagle.

                "Layon, you're so full of yourself! When are you going to let go of what happened with her?"

                "YOU STOLE HER FROM ME! HOW DARE YOU LAUGH AT MY MISERY?"

                "I still don't see how that makes me evil…"

                "You would think Stormsworders, stealth shields, anti-gravity surges and weather machines would be enough to finish a man off… but noooo! You keep slipping through my clutches every time! How do you explain that if you're not evil?"

                "Layon, when are you going to realize that evil has nothing to do with it? It just so happens that there's a logical, very simplistic answer that I'm surprised your ingenious mind couldn't figure out."

                "And what would that be?" he hissed.

                "You're just incompetent!" Tauros responded in a fast, matter-of-fact tone. Layon was about to snap, but calmed down at the last minute, thinking better of it. Layon wasn't goig to let Tauros get the best of him. Tauros' smile was now full-grown, and Tirano let out a sigh of pure relief.

                "I'll deal with you later. I've got other things to tend to…" Layon started to smile, which did not affect Tauros in the least. "Please enjoy your stay down here… you'll be here for as long as possible if I can help it." Tauros just continued to smile as he watched Layon walk away.

                "Oh, I will, even though your cooking stinks and the beds are lumpy!" Layon froze, prepared to turn, but just snarled and stormed off, which was to Tauros' great satisfaction.

                "You know, we've got better things to do than to watch the two of you argue…"

                "I know, Tirano. That's why I'm initiating phase two of the plan…"

___________

                Pierce walked out to the great attention of the rest of the Tauros base, all of which looked up at her. She shook her head, and they all got the message. **_~Sorry… I wish there was more I could do.~ _**She didn't even know how she had managed to look them all in the eye when she felt so badly like crying. It was a feat that she didn't even turn to run. Now, she knew the truth. It wasn't a game that Jamie and the Wild Eagle were playing with her; _both _of them loved her and _both _of them wanted her in their own right. She now also knew exactly who had done what to win her affection just by not talking with the two of them, but listening. Jamie had been the gentler one, the one who felt he owed the truth to her; Wild Eagle had been the reckless one, acting mainly on impulse and emotion, but amazing her with his carefree attitude. She sat in a distant corner of the room -- no one dared get up to stop her -- and she began to wonder if she could ever forgive half of a man she loved fully.

                She didn't even have time to think of what she would say to the rest of the base, as the com-link had just come on. It was Layon.

                "Sooo… you're still sulking? Why? And on such a beautiful day?" Layon exclaimed, one of his happier-looking smiles seeping through his face. The whole of the base stood up, and Bit was the first to take a shot at him.

                "You… bastard! Give Doc back to us!"

                "Nope, sorry. No can do." A look of triumph emerged on his face, and he almost burst out laughing. "Sorry. You'll all see that what I'm doing is best fo—" He stopped short, looking at Leena, her fists clenched and her teeth gritting with rage. Even from the safety of the com-link, looking  at her expression, he couldn't help but give a slight shudder of fear at the thought that she might jump through the screen at any second. "Leena?"

                "How could you? I thought you cared about me! What kind of love is this? You took my father!"

                "Now, Leena, dear. I'm only acting in your best interests. Give it time and I'm—" 

                "I DON'T WANT TO GIVE IT TIME! I WANT MY FATHER BACK!" she roared, cutting him off.

                "No, dammit!" Layon froze. What he just said had startled him extremely, and apparently, it had surprised Leena, too. He was afraid she would hate him, yell at him, but what she did made him feel like that would have been a more bearable punishment; she turned and ran off down the corridors, sobbing. A look of complete sorrow on his face, he regretted for the first time being on the other side of the screen where he couldn't apologize or give her any form of consolation. Bit stood up, leered at him, and chased after her. Layon, still dumbstruck by his outburst at the person whom he cherished most, had no choice but to continue with the plan. He straightened up, regained his composure, and faced the rest of the base, all of whom now dawning expressions not too far from Leena's, but it was more tolerable without having to look into her enraged face.

                "What do you want?" Ashley hissed. "I never thought you would stoop _this _low, Layon, especially not after all the years you spent at school with him! To think you could let anything make that amount to nothing—"

                "Now, you listen here!" Layon retorted dangerously. "What I do is none of your business, and you of all people should be agreeing with me! What with everything that happened with Yusef and all… the Backdraft took him away—"

                "AND YOU'RE WORKING FOR THEM NOW!" she roared in a finalizing tone. "HOW DARE YOU TRY TO SPEAK ABOUT HIM WHEN YOU'VE JOINED THE VERY GROUP THAT KILLED HIM!" Ashley gave herself a few seconds to catch her breath. "You're a disgrace and a coward… that's all you are." Layon would have been phased by this, as he felt that all of his friends were turning on him with such acidic words of hatred, which seemed to melt his skin painfully after every unbearable syllable, but he felt that what he had to say was more important.

                "Anyway," he started, trying his hardest to push her last words as far from his mind as possible, "I have an ultimatum for you all. I will give you back your precious 'Doc',"--the group looked hopeful--" but under one condition. You must give me the Raynos…"

                "We'll do it!" shouted Brad. "It's a small price to pay, of course but—"

                "_And_," Layon interrupted, "the fool who piloted it." The group went silent. The hope that filled their faces now converted back to anger, and it couldn't have been possible for them to be any angrier now than they were at this very moment; each of their faces looked exactly like Leena's…

                _How dare you say such a thing?_

_                DO YOU HAVE ANY SHAME AT ALL?_

_                When I get my hands on you…_

_                YOU'VE LOST YOUR MIND! _

_How much more suffering are you going to cause?_

… Layon flinched. He really didn't want to take anyone but Tauros, but…

                "It's not for me! I promised Tirano the Raynos pilot's head!" Oscar stood up at this outrageous and completely horrible excuse.

                "You'd put fifteen years of friendship between us down the drain because you're keeping a promise to a stranger? I thought you had much better morals than that… but I see I wasted my good opinions on you, Layon! I've watched you and Steven fight all the time, but this is going too far!"

                "I HAVE NO CHOICE! EITHER GIVE HIM TO US AND SAVE ONE PERSON, OR I'LL BE FORCED TO COME AND TAKE YOU ALL!" His expression calmed. "Don't you see? The Backdraft will want that if they can get it, and you've got the Liger Zero and the Legend there. It's the only way! Stop blaming everything on me! It's not my fault!"  
                "IT IS YOUR FAULT! FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS!" Oscar countered almost immediately. Layon knew that arguing for their understanding was getting nowhere, and he also knew that was not what he called here to do.

                "I'll give you one day to decide. Good bye." The com-link turned instantly. Everyone looked at each other. How were they going to hand over not only the Raynos, but Jamie as well? _How _could they hand Jamie over? Even if he had volunteered to go, he most certainly would not have wanted to surrender his Zoid as well. That was his most prized possession, even more so now because he had grown to love it more than the Pteras to which he had once been extremely attached. On another note, he was in no condition to make a decision, and while Pierce was the only one who knew the Wild Eagle was still conscious, she also knew he had not yet succeeded in bringing Jamie around. Once again, Oscar stood up, and he spoke in a voice so solemn and sincere that the entire group shuddered at his words.

                "I'll go."

                "But, Oscar," Ashley replied worriedly, "Layon said he wanted Jamie. He won't be too pleased if he finds you and not your son."

                "Yeah, but even so, if he still asks for Jamie, I'll be there with him. He said he wanted the fool who piloted the Raynos; he didn't say which one."

                "Shouldn't you ask Jamie about this?"

                "How can I? He's unconscious, and we've only got a day. It's the only way. Besides, with me, him, and Steve on the inside and the rest of you on the outside, we'll be able to find a way out."

                "I think you're right." The group turned to face Stoller. "This is the best way, and you wouldn't really be alone there. I've still got connections in the base that would be willing to help. Of course, I'd have to make sure they didn't get caught. Palta, a friend of mine, helped me rescue Pierce."

                "Oh, yeah! I forgot about Palta. I don't know, Stoller. It really doesn't seem like such a good idea to ask for his help again. He's already done more than he should have without getting caught. It wouldn't be a good idea to make him risk his neck again."

                "If it pushes that far, he'll leave the Backdraft. I don't think he'd mind doing it again. He thinks that Layon's crazy, just like me. This is going too far."

                "Then it's settled," said Oscar with a sense of closure. "I'll go get my things ready." In less than a half hour, Oscar was completely situated in the Raynos and, giving last minute glances of farewell to the others, he flew off towards what was unmistakably his goal of destination: the Backdraft base."

So, what did you think? I've had severe writer's block for months on end, and found it extremely difficult to finish this, though I've been half done for the longest. I really hate the way my scene with the Wild Eagle and Pierce in the hospital ward turned out, but I'll leave it to you guys to decide on the quality of it. Soooo… what to expect next time? Yes, Layon isn't too pleased with Oscar's arrival, and obviously, neither is Tirano. Jamie awakens, and upon hearing this, decides to go give himself to the Backdraft as well. Next time! **_The Spirit of the Wild Eagle_**… oh yeah. Almost forgot! Assalaamu 'alaikam!

-Yusef "The B.A.T." Pittman


	8. The Spirit of the Wild Eagle

Disclaimer- Let's make this clear (even though it clearly already is clear), shall we—I do not own Zoids! Period. All of that good stuff still belongs to the people who made it (I believe it's Sunrise… can you imagine? One whole year since I updated and I still don't know for sure). I am in no way doing this for making money (damn companies… they're just afraid I could take their series to places they never could in popularity… just kidding, of course), and this is only for entertainment purposes. For those of you who have missed me, I am ever grateful for your undying fanship, if… erm… such a word exists (if it doesn't… *gestures his hands and POOF!!!*… it does now.) That being said, I hope this next chapter is as good as the wait was long… and if it isn't, you know my policy. READ ANYWAY!!! Now, to business. Chapter 8 of the romantic comedy, "Two Birds, One Arrow":

**_                                                 The Spirit of the Wild Eagle_**

            Sun setting in the distance, the Raynos appeared overhead, miles away from the Backdraft base. Tirano and Layon stood poised, arms crossed and anticipant, as the Zoid they spent the past few hours expecting gracefully dove and landed in front of them. Neither looked at the other; instead, two eerily pleased smiles spread across the respective cheeks, and would have probably gone on beyond their ears if such a thing were physically possible.

            The cockpit door opened.

            "So, little boy," Tirano began, "I see you've made the right choice, dying for your friends in what would otherwise have been a hopeless struggle."

            A hand emerged from within the Raynos.

            "I admire that," was the last sentence he would say out of sheer joy. It was rather strange how Tirano's facial expression changed in the next few seconds, but to put it into a basic summary, it happened as follows: his smile shortened and writhed into a state of utter surprise, and then twisted once more into what was unmistakably an angry frown, looking like the movement of a snake the entire time. Needless to say, Tirano wasn't very pleased. Oscar had climbed out of the Raynos, and not Jamie, which somewhat surprised Layon, but it wasn't enough to anger him, as he bore no grudge against either the expected pilot, or the substitute standing before him; after all, unlike Tirano, who was evil, he was just insane.

            "What are you _doing _here…?" Tirano growled. Oscar simply smiled. "This wasn't part of the agreement."

            "Well, I'm sorry, but as long as I'm still alive, my boy is going to remain as far out of harm's reach as possible," Oscar chimed, shrugging his shoulders. This was apparently more than Tirano could stand, as he advanced menacingly toward the man who uncannily resembled the object of his utmost hatred.

            "That's about to change very soo—"

            "Tirano, wait!" Before he'd gone more five inches, Layon had extended his hand, and stopped him cold. Once again, Tirano wasn't very pleased.

            "What the hell did you do that for!?"

            "I want his explanation!"

            "I don't _care _for his explanation!"

            Oscar's smile broadened as Tirano lunged for him once more, only to be obstructed as Layon flung himself between them. At this point in time, Tirano was death itself, and, as Oscar stood unflinchingly behind Layon, he stared bravely into its face.

            "Why don't you _wait _before you kill him?"

            "What's the point in that, doc?"

            "You don't just go around killing everyone in sight!"

            "Well, _I _do! Now get out of my way!" Tirano gripped Layon by his collar, threw him to the ground, and charged once more. He drew his entire arm back for the punch, and then let it fly. Oscar dodged, which only served to further Tirano's anger and frustration. He began swinging wildly, while Oscar stepped back in a graceful dance of dodges and lazy parries.

            "I understand my boy whipped you at Ashley's…" Oscar said as he evaded yet another fist.

            "Shut up! SHUT U—ugh!" If "up" were the next word in this sentence, the world would never know; at this point in time, Oscar's knee was lodged so far in Tirano's chest that there was an imprint forming in the rash rich boy's back, and he fell limply to the ground, eyes glossy and throat straining for air. Oscar's smile faded, and it wasn't because of the sound of guns cocking all around him.

            "So what made you think you stood a chance against his old man?" Oscar growled. He looked over at the "good" doctor. "You okay, Layon?"

            "I'm fine, thanks," he replied as he stood and dusted himself off. "That won't be necessary," he said, gesturing to the gathered soldiers to stand down and lower their weapons. They complied.

            "You know, I wanted to understand why you would ever wish to take my son's life before you did whatever with me."

            "But that's just it, Oscar. I _don't!"_

            "Then why—" 

            "Ask _him_!" Layon pointed at Tirano, who hadn't budged since the blow, yet was still groaning silently. "I mean, after all, that display he just put on clearly reveals his contempt for young Jamie. _I _don't hold a grudge, but he clearly does, the same way he couldn't give one fig for my dispute with Tauros. We're partners; he's not my subordinate, and so, I have no say in his goals, nor does he in mine."

            "Oh, well I suppose that absolves you of anything he has done or will do if he gets his clutches on my boy, doesn't it?"

            "Yep. Sounds about right, really," Layon said as sincerely as possible. Obviously, Oscar's last statement was not sincere, because he stormed over to Layon, moved in so close that their noses were practically grazing one another, and clenched his fists tightly.

            "Look! Although I think your dispute with Steven is absolutely ludicrous, I really don't care about who comes out on top from that. But _this_? This is _my boy! You're telling me that's the way it goes? Flinging his life around like it's some small fee for a greater gain? Who are you to play god with my son's life?" Regardless of the spittle that was now all over Layon's face his next words were fully contemplated and just as calm as his body remained._

            "I have spent far too long trying to make Tauros regret what he did to me those many years ago. While I do sympathize with your disposition in all of this, I have no choice but to take any and all opportunities I can. For all I know, I may not get another chance in my life, and as far as I'm concerned, if it involves me taking my life just to get my revenge, I'd do it."

            "Then _take _your own life! Not my son's!"

            "I think I've been _really _tolerant, Oscar…" Layon snarled. "I really don't have to have this little chat with you, you know? I could just walk away… like this." Perhaps it was the insensitivity of Layon toward Oscar's son, or maybe it was the rude gesture of turning his back on Oscar, but whatever it was, it was clear that Oscar had lost all of his rationale, and Layon did not realize this until he was rubbing his bloody nose and glaring at the man whose only reason for not hitting him again was because of the soldiers who were ready to shoot him if he so much as moved. He straightened up, his eyes on Layon at all times, and he put his hands in the air.

            "How dare you do this, Layon? I've been a good friend to you all these years! How can you possibly care so little for our well-being? We've been like family to you since the days of the Academy!"

            "_Family_? Family, you say? What kind of man steals the love of your life and calls himself your _family_?"

            "It wasn't Steven's fault!" 

Oh, stop sticking up for him already! I'm tired of you lying for him! _You _didn't write that goddamn letter! You weren't the poet in our group; _he was!"_

            "That's because I didn't want anyone to know, Layon!" Oscar was desperate now. He knew as well as Layon did that this was most definitely his last chance to bring reconciliation between them all; if he failed now, there would be no chance for their friendship. "I had a reputation to keep, and Steven was the one popular with the ladies—"

            "Bullshit! You keep saying he didn't write that letter, but even if you _did _accidentally sign his name, what the hell did he think he was doing when she fell in love with him?" Oscar didn't have an answer. His face was frozen in terror, the kind one gets when they don't have an explanation for something they know is truth, and yet, his eyes flared in Layon's direction. He couldn't believe how anyone could be so foolish, or, for that matter, how anyone could go to such extremes to exercise such foolishness.

            "Layon, please…"

            "No! I don't want to hear another word, Oscar. Not. Another. Word. At this point, the letter isn't even important. He didn't have to marry her, and he definitely didn't have to have a child with her, Oscar. Don't you see? The letter means nothing. It's how the situation was handled _after the mistake that I can't forgive."_

            Oscar swallowed a huge lump in his throat.

            "That _was _a mistake, and Layon, quite frankly, I think you're making another."

            "_I'm _making a mistake, Oscar?" At this point, the insanity in Layon's eyes had returned, and it matched the ferocity in Oscar's eyes point for point. "_You are the one who made the mistake long ago, when you took Steven's side instead of mine."_

            "_What_? I never took anyone's side! I'm trying to help you both—"

            "Bullshit!" Layon snapped. "Bullshit, bullshit, nothing but bullshit! That's all you've been spouting since you opened that goddamn mouth of yours! I'm tired, and frankly, I don't have any more kind words to spare on you, Oscar, or anyone else for that matter. I'm going to get my revenge on Tauros, no matter what it takes, and you can't stop me."

            "Layon…" Oscar growled.

            "Take him away." Layon looked down at the heap that was Tirano. "And put him in the medical ward or… something…"

                                                        ________________

            At the Tauros base, all lights were off, except for those that came on to prevent an uncomfortable, pitch black experience. Pierce was in the living room, sitting in Tauros' armchair with her head hanging down and her hands clasped between her legs; it would seem she'd been there for quite awhile. She let out a huge sigh…

            **_~Why do I feel so helpless right now…?~_**

            Just then, she heard a noise coming from the kitchen, and jumped from her seat.

            "Who's there?"

            "Ow! Bit, you idiot! What the hell are you doing in here?"

            "Trying to get my cookie, Leena, before someone _else takes it. Speaking of which, what are _you _doing in here?"_

            "Well… I… um… you see…"

            "Tsk, tsk, tsk… Leena, you oughtta be ashamed of yourself, always taking things that don't belong to you."

            "Oh, yeah? You should talk, Bit!"

            "But that rule doesn't apply to me," he said in a calm, collected manner.

            "And why is _that?!_"

            "Because I'm not the one with the weight problem—bye!"

            "_What!? _Bit Cloud! You jerk! COME BACK HERE!"

            Pierce sweatdropped and laughed nervously, partially from the hopelessness of it all and the fact that their footsteps were headed her way. 

            "Forget your cookie, Bit! I'm going to eat you alive instead!"

            "You know, that's a great deal fattier!"

            "OOOOOOHHHHHH!!! When I get my hands on you—"

            "I know, I know! We've already covered that part, but you're not going to get your hands on me, are you—Pierce!? What are you doing here?" he said as he came to a screeching halt. It was against his better judgment to stop, because Leena was still too consumed with rage to notice Pierce. She skidded into the room viciously until she, too, stopped, and landed an even more vicious blow to the back of Bit's head, rendering him temporarily unconscious. She lifted him over her head with both arms, and just as she was about to throw him, her eyes fell on Pierce, who seemed to be a little more than disturbed by the scene.

            "Pierce? You're still awake?" she gasped. Her shock made her forget all about Bit's body, and he fell to the ground in a lifeless clump. Pierce nodded sadly at her, and Leena could do little else but empathize. She walked over and put what she hoped was a consoling hand on Pierce's shoulder. "Look, I know things don't look too good right now, either, but how much help can you be if you're a wreck when the fighting starts again?"

            "I'm completely useless right now, Leena."

            "That's not true at all… how could you say a thing like that?"

            "Haven't you figured it out yet? I don't have the Stormsworder, and I don't have the Raynos. I'm an air pilot, Leena; on the ground, I can do little more than a cheerleading routine, and that disgusts me. I'm no help, and even though I love Jamie dearly, that's not going to wake him up again, now is it?" She turned her head away and slammed her fist on the side of the chair, and then said, through gritted teeth, "I should have gone in Oscar's place…"

            "Pierce… Jamie is going to be fine, and you're not useless. He _does _need you, and yes, your love does have the power to help him, at least that's what I believe, but you can't just give up when things don't look good. I mean, take a look a Bit." They both looked over to see Bit slowly sitting up and rubbing the back of his head, muttering several curses that not even Leena, who always looked for a reason to beat him again, could hear. Leena smiled.

            "He's always fighting a losing battle, and he knows it, but he keeps trying, hoping that one day, he'll get the upper hand against me."

            "I guess… but that doesn't really seem to be a good example, does it?"

            "Nope Leena admitted, with a halfhearted chuckle. "Heh… I guess it doesn't. I guess what I'm saying is that, even against all odds, you have an obligation to give it your all, no matter what. If you don't have a weapon, use your fists! I do! And then if you don't have any fists, use your legs, and if you don't have either of those, then roll at your enemies and pray like the dickens that you'll make them trip into something very deep or very sharp… or both!"

            Pierce couldn't help but laugh at Leena's enthusiasm.

            "Yeah! That's the spirit! You should never give up! That's what makes us great, that we don't lose hope even after it seems like all hope is lost!"

            "You're right. Thanks, Leena," Pierce said, beaming gratefully.

            "No prob!" Leena let out a huge whoop, and then, exhausted by her speech, started catching her breath. "Geez, girl, I needed that pep talk, too. You were really starting to depress me." Pierce and Leena laughed. "I've got so much energy, I don't know what to do with myself—oh wait! I do now! Oh, Bitty-poo…" When she looked over, Bit was no longer in the room. Apparently, his better judgment must have been knocked back in place after the collision between his head and Leena's fist. Regardless of his absence, Leena was not deterred, and she plunged merrily into the darkness of the hallway.

            "You can't hide forever! Come out and take your beating like a man!"

            Pierce, with her newfound hope, realized that she, too, didn't know what to do with herself.

            **_~I guess I'll go and see how Jamie's doing…~_**

                                                        ________________

            "Get in there!"

            When the cell door closed, Oscar got to his feet, and let his eyes adjust to the dark, gloomy interior of his confinement. There were numerous instruments that, without any doubt, were meant for torture, and several shackles that were bolted into the walls. His eyes widened horrifically when they fell upon what was shackled to one of the walls.

            Tauros, and he wasn't looking too good, as far as looks were concerned.

            "Steve…en?" he said under his breath. Even so, Steven Tauros must have heard it, because he raised his head weakly, and smiled. It was almost unbearable for Oscar. Many bruises rested all over his swollen face, and his clothes were completely torn. There were gashes all across his chest, where blood stains showed not only that he must have lost a lot of blood, but that it had been allowed to run, without any evident effort, or pity, on the guards' behalf, to clean up the mess. Even through his smile, he was enduring labored breathing, and with each breath, his arms twitched as though they wanted to cover something. Oscar concluded that several of Tauros' ribs were broken.

            "Hello… Oscar…" Tauros said. Even in his strained voice, he didn't seem to be letting the current situation get him down; any non-hostile company was good enough for him. It was rather disturbing for Oscar. Tauros was very pale—except for his cheeks, bringing his entire face to life, at least, but that was the creepy thing about it—and his head, looking so much livelier than the rest of his body, looked like it might just start floating around like a spirit, damned to wander the cell for all eternity. Oscar rushed over to his friend's aid.

            "How could… Layon… do this to you?" he said as he searched the shackles for any kind of keyhole. "Here… let me help you out of these…"

            "Um… Oscar? These are chains, not ropes. Please don't get delusional on me. I've already suffered greatly at the hands of a lunatic."

            "Ha. Ha. Very funny. In case you've forgotten, I'm perfectly capable of picking locks—here's where the key goes!" he exclaimed as his hands felt on the lower part of the shackle bracelets, and he immediately set to searching his pockets. Seconds later, he pulled out a little pin, and started fidgeting with the keyhole. Snap went the first lock, and he went to the second shackle to search for its keyhole. As Tauros' left arm fell free, he winced.

            "I was beginning to think I would die in here alone…" Tauros said. Oscar didn't even look over, but Tauros' eyes were starting to get watery.

            "Stop talking like that. How could you not expect us to save you?" Oscar replied absentmindedly, more focused on unlocking the second shackle. It popped free as well, and Tauros fell to the ground, face first and letting out a loud scream of pain. Seconds later, Oscar knew why; Tauros' feet were also shackled. "Oh, god… I'm so sorry Steven. Here, let me help you u—"

            "Don't!" Tauros yelped. 

            "That's right… your ribs are broken. Well, just wait a moment while I get you out of these foot shackles." Tauros really didn't have a choice in the matter. When Oscar had finished, he tried to the best of his ability to set Tauros upright against the wall. He tore his own shirt in shreds and used the ripped cloth to bandage Tauros' chest area, then he sat down right beside Tauros.

            "I'm sorry for all of this, Oscar…"

            "What are you talking about? We both started this long ago, remember?"

            "Well, if you look at it that way, it was _Layon who started it." They laughed. Tauros stopped short because his laughter caused pain to shoot through his chest. He grunted, winced, and coughed. _

            "Don't overdo it. Those bandages haven't healed you, you know."

            "Yeah, right… Oscar?"

            "Hmm?

            "Thank you."

            "There's no need, Steve, really! I'm glad to help a friend in need."

            "Yeah, which is why you're sitting in here alongside that evil bastard."

            Oscar and Tauros' heads whipped around to look at the open cell door. Layon was standing there, arms crossed, and peering down on them as if he were their almighty executioner.

            "What do you want, Layon?" Oscar sneered.

            "Now, now, Oscar. You know lesser beings can't understand human language."

            "Oh, you're a real riot, Steven. You'd have made a better comedian than an eccentric scientist," Layon said as he walked over to Tauros. Oscar jumped up and in front of Tauros, but froze once again when the sound of guns ready to fire echoed along the cell walls. Layon smirked as Oscar gritted his teeth. The two stared at each other for a long time, and neither showed any signs of moving.

            "Stand down, Oscar," Tauros said. "It's—it's all right." Oscar's body responded by loosening, and he looked at the ground in utter defeat. Layon's smile broadened.

            "That's right, Oscar. Be a good boy," he mocked, as his face contorted into a bitter, dark, angry frown. "Now get out of my way!" He knocked Oscar to the ground with the back of his hand. Oscar could do nothing but glare and rub his burning cheek as Layon knelt before Tauros, held Tauros' chin in his fingers, and raised his head so that their eyes met.

            "I just came to let you know you'll be dying soon."

            Tauros didn't answer.

            "What? I thought you would be happy to know that you wouldn't have to look at me anymore."

            Still, no answer.

            "And what's more? You don't have to die alone."

            Oscar's body tensed with rage.

            "This is wrong, Layon! You don't have the right to treat us like this!"

            "Then why is it that I'm doing just that now? You never were too smart, Oscar," he spat. "'Right' is where you make it. 'Right' is the ability to do things without negative consequences, and there is no one who would stop me from _or _punish me for killing you two here and now, so don't tell me that I don't have the _right."_

            "You are going too far with this, you know," Tauros added.

            "Oh? Am I? Tauros, I want you to understand something." Layon moved in closer, to the point where Steven had to hold his breath in order not to smell Layon's. "You. Ruined. My. Life. When you stole the love of my life from right under my nose, you took away my reason to live. I… am dead, and my sole reason for existing now is to exact revenge on the man who killed me and anyone who helps him or gets in my way. I am a vengeful spirit, so naturally, and I see no problem with doing so, I adhere to an eye for an eye. You took my life, and so, I will take yours. Is that clear, Steven?"

            "Crystal."

            "Then you will face execution two days from now. Until then, I bid you all adieu." Layon paused for a moment. "You know, it's funny. I never realized it now, but 'adieu' is such a fitting word. It carries the hidden message 'die' right between the a and the u."

            "Just shut up and go…"

            "Of course. Gladly."

            Just as soon as the door slammed, Oscar sidled over to where he had been sitting before. Tauros' head was lowered in thought. Oscar sighed and stared contemplatively up at the ceiling. 

            "Things don't look so good, do they?" he said, more so thinking aloud than talking with Tauros.

            "Nonsense. They'll come. I know it. I mean, you were the one who was cheering me up. Don't tell me you're having second thoughts now."

            Oscar didn't answer. Tauros sighed, and looked up at the ceiling as well.

                                                         _______________

            In the recovery room, Pierce sat quietly. She knew Wild Eagle must have acknowledged her presence by now, but if he did, he had decided not to say anything either. She reached out and stroked Jamie's spiky hair, smiling as a tear trickled down her cheek.

            **_~I know you're going to be fine…~_**

            "I can sense it…" Wild Eagle said, eyes still closed.

            "What? That Jamie's coming back around?"

            "Yeah. And…"

            "And what?"

            "That my time to leave is fast approaching."

            "I see… are you scared?"

            "A little. Not as terrified as I thought I'd be, but…"

            Pierce chuckled a little and lightly jabbed Wild Eagle's shoulder. He flinched slightly, but he was amused as well.

            "Hey, watch it."

            "You're putting on that tough guy face just to be cool… little liar."

            "Am not… little lady." Pierce blushed again.

            "God, I wish you'd stop calling me that. It's so embarrassing."

            "Aw, shucks, but you look so cute when you're blushing." Pierce's face blushed a deeper red. "And, besides…" Wild Eagle added, "you know you'd miss it if me or Jamie never called you that again."

            "Perhaps…" she halfheartedly admitted, "but not likely."

            "Yeah, right!"

            They laughed again, and Pierce remembered and realized why she had always cherished this particular side of Jamie. With all her heart, at this very moment, she only hoped that when their two streams of thought melded, this part would remain, the resulting brand new Jamie a testament of this eternal few seconds of sheer happiness. Wild Eagle closed his eyes again, and Pierce leaned over him, smiling.

            "I love you, Wild Eagle…" She kissed him, softly and lovingly, on the lips. When her lips parted from his, the eyes were open again.

            "That's nice and all," came a squeaky, innocent voice that surprised Pierce, "but do you have a kiss for me too?"

            "Jamie?"

            "That's my name!"

Oh, Jamie!" she squealed, grabbing him up in a completely passionate—and tearful, for that matter—embrace.

            "Ow! Geez… I wanted a kiss, not a hug," Jamie said.

            "Well, too bad. I wanted to give you a hug, so deal with it."

            "Anything else you'd like to give me?" he said in a devilish manner. She smirked just as darkly.

            "That's for me to know… you naughty little man."

            "Well, there's only one part of me that isn't little—"

            "Oh, stop!" Pierce exclaimed, laughing at the top of her lungs. "Yeah, you're right, you're head."

            Jamie was not deterred. He developed an even more deviant grin and said, "that's right, and don't you forget it."

            "Oh, my god… the Wild Eagle's been rubbing off on you again, hasn't he?" She stopped. "Does that mean he's—he's…"

            Jamie shook his head reassuringly. "He's still in there. We're actually rejoicing by playing a mental game of Connect Four… he's winning."

            "God, Jamie, I've missed you so much. Don't ever do something stupid like that again!" She hit him on the back of his head, and he, of course, held the throbbing area.

            "Geez… if you're talking about going unconscious again, I might not have to do anything. You almost knocked me out with that one," he said. Pierce chuckled nervously.

            "Heh… sorry." Jamie, save a few minor injuries at this point, was fully rested, in top physical condition, and ready to leave the recovery room. Of course, he had to wait a couple minutes. That would be how long it took for him to go to the bathroom after his coma. When he was ready, the first thing he went to do was check on his Raynos; he was out the door before Pierce could stop him, and so she ran after him, shouting at the top of her lungs that he was finally awake.

            Doors opened, revealing groggy eyes and half-sleep murmurings, but after every fourth one of her shouts, the other members got the message one by one. They didn't even bother changing out of their pajamas; they immediately set to following her down the hallways. When she arrived in the hangar, she saw Jamie looking around excitedly.

            "Jamie…"

            "Where is it Pierce? Where's my beautiful Raynos? I wanna let it know I'm okay and take it out for a ride. Let me go ask doc where it is…"

            "Jamie…"

            "What? Why so sad? Today's a great day! I think we're ready to crush the Backdraft once and for all!"

            "Jamie, please! Calm yourself for a minute." She was wiping tears from her eyes, and Jamie was looking at her with deep concern.

            "What's… wrong, my turtledove? Did something happen?"

            "Oh, Jamie! I'm so sorry!" She ran into his arms and began crying uncontrollably. The gathering crowd in the hangar entrance looked on with deep sorrow, and no one dared to speak, or even let their breath interfere with what was about to happen.

                                                         _______________

            "…Oscar?"

            "Yes?"

            "How is everyone else faring? My daughter? Your son?"

            "Everyone is just fine, Steven. Your daughter is just upset because of what happened to you, and my son should be fine soon."

            "What do you mean, 'soon'? Did something happen to him?

            "Nothing major. He just went unconscious for awhile after that last battle. He tried with all his might to save you, and it didn't work. It didn't look like anything serious."

            "I'm so sorry for all the trouble my rashness has caused you and your family, Oscar."

            "Aww, there you go again, Tauros. Always getting mushy when the situation doesn't call for it. It ain't no big deal. _You're like family, and I take care of my family, no matter what. That's why I came. To save you and so that Jamie wouldn't have to come alone."_

            "What do you mean?"

            "If I know my son, he's gonna lick this coma real soon. His inner spirit won't let him die."

            "Inner spirit? Do you mean…"

            "Let's just say he'll be here soon enough. It's about time I told him everything."

            "What on earth are you talking about, Oscar?"

            "Jamie's about to learn the true pride of our family, that's what I mean, Steven. One day, he will come to soar higher than any prior generation, as each new generation has always strived to do. He will be the greatest pilot in our lineage to date, and he's about to become the man I always knew he could."

            "Oh… I see…"

            "You understand a little of it already since you've known me all these years."

            "Yep…"

            "And when he gets here, you, and he, will finally know everything. It's time. I can feel it."

                                                      ________________

            "_What!?_" Jamie roared.

            "Please, Jamie. Calm down. We need to think this through."

            "There's no need for you to do anything yet. _I've got to do this. Alone."_

            "Jamie, that's suicide! You're telling me you plan to attack the Backdraft Base by yourself?"

            "No… I'm telling you that I plan to set up everything so that we can get my dad and Leena's dad out of there safely. We won't stand a chance if we attack them head-on, so I gotta give 'em a tummy ache. That's what I'm saying."

            "So, what are you saying?" Pierce looked on desperately as Jamie finished making adjustments to his father's Pteras.

            "As it stands, Pierce, we don't stand a chance. Sure, the Organoid system in Liger Zero is strong, and sure, Ashley's Gun Sniper Legend is one of the most powerful Zoids ever, but they have my Raynos, and your Stormsworder, not to mention an entire army with high-tech defenses, and they're undoubtedly going to use my Raynos' system against us. Remember, it can be copied, _and _each Zoid with its system will develop unique moves that are best suited for each pilot. They'll have an army capable of doing Whirlwind Fury or God knows what if they succeed. So we have to attack them _hard_. From the inside. And when they're busy dealing with us, they won't notice you guys, so that will be the most opportune time to attack."

            "Jamie, that's the riskiest, dumbest plan I've ever heard you make."

            "But it's also our only real option, other than to lose everything we've worked for in the blink of an eye. I plan to go out fighting, and as a strategist, I would never propose a plan like this unless I were sure there were no other alternatives, and there aren't. All you have to do is remain on standby right outside of their radar range, and when I've gotten the Raynos, we'll call you to prepare for the attack. This is all or nothing. The Backdraft won't be defeated, and they definitely won't leave us alone after this, but they will never be able to stop us again if we can pull this off, and that's why it's so important that you and the others wholeheartedly commit to executing this plan."

            He hopped into the cockpit and closed the hatch.

            "Jamie…"

            "I love you," he said, as the door completely closed. The Pteras took to the sky, and left the security of the Tauros base, leaving Pierce behind with the same feeling she felt at square one: that she would never see her true love again.

            **_/ Geez, you can make good speeches when it counts, can't you?/_** Wild Eagle chirped mockingly. Jamie replied the same way he always does.

            **_~…shut up…~_**

**_            / No can do. We gotta work together to pull this one off. So, what's the plan?/_**

**_            ~Plan? What are you talking about? There is no plan! We just get captured, and hope your mind, my mind, dad's mind, and Doc's  mind can think of a way to get the hell out of there. Alive and able to fight. With our Zoids.~_**

            **_/That's gotta be the most suicidal plan I've ever heard./_**

**_            ~Weren't you just listening? There is no plan!~_**

**_            / I like it all the same, though./ _Wild Eagle laughed. **_/ You're one, crazy bastard, you know that, Jamie?/_****

            Jamie shrugged.

            **_~I learned it from you, and frankly, that's nothing I'm proud about.~_**

**_            /…shut up…/_**

            And so, the flight continued silently, not because they were annoyed, but the two of them were caught up in the moment, the sky seeming to echo the same, ominous message to them as the wreck of a Pteras whistled through the air: "This is it. Your time is now." They were at the peak of their anticipation, and just as equally at the pinnacle of their confidence.

            They arrived, and, as Jamie suspected, the soldiers were already lined up to deal with the unidentified Zoid that flew over the horizon. When they took a glimpse at the rusty, worn-down, antique-status Zoid, a lot of them burst out in laughter. Very few were able to keep it at a snicker, and even fewer were able to maintain their composure completely.

            **_/Assholes… what do they know about true greatness, anyway?/_**

**_            ~Just let it be, W. E. Just let it be.!~_**

**_            /W. E? What the hell are you doing giving me nicknames? I sound like some cheesy movie producer or something./_**

**_            ~Well, you talk like one, so…~_**

**_            /Watch it, pal. If I have to in order to shut me up, I'll kick my own ass./_**

**_            ~Any day, punk. Bring it. I'm gonna whip me so bad…~_**

            After they got their final jokes in, Jamie climbed out of the Pteras, fully dignified, and stood perfectly still and unflinching, placing himself at the mercy of his enemies. Tirano appeared through the thick crowd of soldiers and Zoids, his evil smile far greater than anything he'd ever expressed before. He was still holding his stomach awkwardly, though, but for him, at this moment, it was a small price to pay.

            "So, let me guess. This is the best the Hover Cargo can offer, eh?"

            All the soldiers burst out laughing this time. A vein formed in Tirano's forehead and he turned around to snap at his men.

            "What the hell are you doing laughing? You're soldiers! So act like it! The next one of you who laughs will fight me one on one."

            Silence.

            "So, seriously, is this all you guys have left after that humiliating defeat?"

            "Nah…" Jamie said smugly. "We just didn't want to waste any unnecessary force on you, is all." Tirano did not appreciate the humor.

            "Just take him away, and store this in the hangar—no, on second thought, the trash heap. It doesn't look like it would make it to the hangar."

                                                            _________________

            "He's here, Steven."

            "Who?"

            "My boy." Oscar was beaming with pride. "My little boy made it…"

            "Unless he's killed half of the Backdraft soldiers already, I'm not so sure that's a good thing, Oscar."

            The door opened, and, just like Oscar thought, it was Jamie who was flung inside.

            "So much for unnecessary force, huh, brat?" a soldier called.

            "Hey!" the Wild Eagle groaned. "Which one of you sick bastards grabbed my ass?"

            "You won't be joking much longer, will you?" With that, the door was closed, and the three allies were left with apparently no way out.

            "Hello, Wild Eagle," Oscar said, smiling.

            "Yes?"

            "I'd like to speak with Jamie, please." In a second, the transformation was complete.

            "Dad? How'd you know? Did you tell him, doc?"

            "Nope. Not at all. But I think you'd be interested to know that he probably may have realized it before it even happened."

            Jamie scratched his head.

            "I don't understand…"

            "Son, I've known about the day you would develop the Wild Eagle long before it happened, and I'm sure, though he probably doesn't remember, that the Wild Eagle felt like he'd existed all along."

            "Well, yeah…" the Wild Eagle said after taking over once more. "But how did you know?"

            Oscar stood up, and his face became serious.

            "Son… Jamie and Wild Eagle… your coexistence… has been our family's greatest secret."

            **_~What!?~_**

**_            /What!?/_**

Okay, that's the end of chapter 8. Stay tuned for chapter 9 when you learn what the hell it is that Oscar is rambling about. Also, the fight is on next time, and Pierce infiltrates the base with the help of Ashley. Palta is back, and I'm sure our three prisoners will appreciate his assistance once more. And I promise, sincerely, that I will not take a year to update this. The conclusion is two chapters away! Don't miss it!

Yusef "The B.A.T." Pittman


	9. Birds of Prey

Geez… to be honest, I was hoping someone would have seen my most recent chapter. I guess I was too presumptuous. Well, time to move on with the next one. We're about to take this into the home stretch, people! So review, review, and don't forget, review! In short, R&R! Oh, and before I begin, I haven't seen Chaotic Century enough to understand its world. I don't know the origin of the Organoids, so if that was covered, please forgive me for making my own story on how they came to exist, particularly about Zeeg.

Brad: You know, I think they get it.

Me: You know, I think if you want to get paid, you'll shut up and let me talk, thank you.

Brad: That hurt. I thought we were close, man.

Me: Only when we're working toward a common goal. Any other time, I'm a loner, just 

       like you.

Brad (shrugging): I can respect that.

Me: So long as we're clear on that… Leena, could you click the 'Disclaimer' button for 

       me, pretty please?

Disclaimer- I do not own Zoids, nor do I act as such. All rights belong to whoever owns it, and, sorry to say, it's not gonna be me…

(_Leena laughs_, _I hold up a fic titled "Layon Mistook Me for My Mother, And…" Leena shuts up with the quickness and apologizes, as she should.)_

Now, before I was so rudely interrupted… this fic is, and will always be, for entertainment purposes only. No profit.

Now let's get this started, and more people, _please, review this time? Pretty please? I'm begging you, okay? Here it is… chapter nine…_

_                                                                             **Birds of Prey**_

            "Son… Jamie and Wild Eagle… your coexistence… has been our family's greatest secret."

**_~What!?~_**

**_            /What!?/_**

            "What're you talking about, dad?"

            "I'm saying the Wild Eagle's appearance in you isn't another strange coincidence."

            "So, then… what is it?"

            "It's a phase that happens to every male in our family throughout each generation."

            "I don't understand…"

            "So that explains it!" Tauros exclaimed.

            "I kinda figured you saw through it back then, Steven," said Oscar.

            "How could I not? All the sudden changes in personality… I have to tell you, Oscar, there were times when it really scared me."

            "Uh… doc?" Jamie interrupted, "could you let me in on what's going on?"

            "Well, Jamie… your father is saying that he, too, developed a Wild Eagle within him when he was just about your age."

            "Okay... thanks, Doc. Now I'm lost."

            "Jamie, you shouldn't be," Oscar said calmly. "Do you know of our ancestor, Raymond Hemeros, who lived over one thousand years ago?"

            "No… but what does that have to do with anything?"

            "He was one of the leading researchers in Zoids, and one of the first to realize that they were all living creatures and not machines. He was a man who marveled at everything about Zoids, but particularly their ability to evolve at will."

            "I really don't see where this is going, dad…"

            "You will. Just wait a minute." Oscar stood, and placed his back on the nearest wall, putting a thoughtful hand to his chin. 

"Raymond believed," he continued, "that the ability to evolve upon the need, or to "perfect oneself", as he had put in his notes, could be attained by any living creature, provided that they have the proper genetic coding."

            "So… what you're saying is that his research is responsible for the Wild Eagle?" Jamie asked skeptically. Oscar started to pace back and forth, while Jamie, who hadn't gotten up since the guards threw him in the cell, followed him closely with his eyes.

            "Well, yes… and no. It's true that Raymond's work led to the mental existence of the Wild Eagle, but it wasn't what he intended. Back then, most Zoids were feral, and they had no qualms with ripping others to shreds. He looked at the genetic material of those killed in battle and came across a strange gene, which he nicknamed 'Code Z,' obviously because it belonged only to Zoids."

            "Are you telling me he tried to duplicate it?"

            Oscar stopped for a moment and looked Jamie squarely in the face.

            "Not just duplicate it. He also attempted to incorporate it into himself."

            "_What_? Was he nuts?"

            "Not that I know of… he just seemed to be a little extreme. But think about it. It's not surprising that he used himself as a guinea pig. Would you have believed him then?"

            "No…"

            "So he had no choice. He performed countless experiments on himself until he was certain he had incorporated Code Z into his genetic material. Days later, also found in his notes, he started hearing a strange voice in his head. He checked out his DNA and found that it was mutating."

            "I don't get it."

            "It changed the structure of his psyche, and the first 'Wild Eagle' was born. Well, he didn't call it the Wild Eagle because he thought he was going insane. The backfiring in his research led him to suicide a few years later."

            "Gee, dad," said Jamie flatly, "that doesn't sound too pleasant."

            "It wasn't. He died without any of his research being noted or credited, which was a shame, too, because it was during those years when he unleashed his greatest work. He alone is the creator of what we know now as the Organoids."

            Wild Eagle took over.

            "Wait a sec—run that by me again?"

            "Of course. I figured you'd want to know about this more than Jamie. He tried to figure out what went wrong with his work, and so, he went to great extremes to capture a Zoid of his own. When he did, he began injecting it with his own DNA. Apparently, the Zoid began to mutate, and grew more diminutive in size each day. When the process was completed, a little dinosaur-esque creature stood in its place. Oddly enough, the process only took a week or so. He named the creature 'Organoid.'"

            "So he created what led to the system that Bit's Zoid uses?"

            "Yes, unfortunately for him. That one was not the only Organoid he created. Pleased with his work, he began to capture several other Zoids and put his DNA in them. The process ended the same way, only with different results in the form each Zoid took. He didn't go into specifics with those, or, at least, he didn't have the time to. When word got out concerning the creatures in his lab, people were frightened. They thought he was a mad scientist cruelly experimenting on Zoids, and soon, they were ready to lock him away. In a last-ditch effort, he launched the Organoids into space and killed himself."

            "But if every male has this gene, then he would have had to have a child, right?"

            "Yes. I'm assuming he had some loyal followers or assistants who believed in his work, so maybe during his crazy years, he married one, but we will never know."

            "What happened to the Organoids in space?"

            "We'll never know that either, but they must have returned to this planet at some point."

            Wild Eagle was silent, so Jamie decided to take over again.

            "Dad… so, every man in our family from that point on went through what Raymond did?"

            "Yep. The only difference is that they didn't kill themselves and he did. I guess he must have been so uncertain about the change that he never embraced it, and so it destroyed him slowly. You and I, however, obviously did embrace it, and it made us who we are now."

            "But it seems like such a useless change, doesn't it?"

**_            /Hey!/_**

**_            ~Sorry. But, I mean, it didn't really do anything for us, did it?~_**

            "Do you really think the change is useless, Jamie?" Oscar asked, utterly shocked that Jamie, his intelligent strategist of a son had managed to say a statement that could be so untrue.

            "I just don't see how it isn't."

            "Think about the changes you've undergone since Wild Eagle surfaced."

            Jamie thought about it and a look of understanding dawned on his face. He stood up and looked at his father, who nodded at him.

            "You understand now, don't you?" Oscar planted himself firmly in front of Jamie, smiling. 

"There were rumors decades ago that any Zoid fused with an Organoid acquired the power of regeneration and a new ability to maximize its potential skills, which means the evolution process was accelerated even further. We didn't get the regeneration because we were the host of the gene, not the result of a fusion, but we did to some extent get the ability to bring out our very best potential. In other words, we are an inferior variation of the same product. We have become great Zoids pilots, and you will probably surpass me and keep improving so long as the Wild Eagle's presence stays in you." 

            "Geez…I never realized how much I've changed until now."

            "Wild Eagle?" Tauros asked. Jamie and his counterpart switched again.

            "Yes?"

            "Just… out of curiosity… how have you been feeling lately?"

            "I guess like I've been fading, doc. It seems that I'm just about done taking Jamie as far as I can."

**_            ~What? You never told me you were fading away!~ _**Jamie indignantly exclaimed.

**_            /Couldn't you tell?/ _**Wild Eagle demanded softly, but nonetheless with just as much indignation. He couldn't be completely certain, but the cold, vulnerable ripple he felt in his head seemed to express guilt from Jamie.

**_            ~No, I couldn't.~_**

**_            /Be honest, Jamie./_**

**_            ~… yeah, kinda…. But I thought you would've said something about it if it was that serious, you know?~_**

**_            /God, Jamie, when have I ever come right out and told you how I feel?/_**

**_            ~Good point.~ _**There was an awkward moment of silence between the two. Jamie spoke up again first.**_ ~So… what do we do now?~_**

**_            /We get you ready for our final battle together. What's it look like?/_**

**_            ~Whadda ya mean, 'final'? How close are you to disappearing, then?~_**

**_            /Quite close, I'm afraid. I don't have much more in me to give./_**

            "Is something wrong, Wild Eagle?" Oscar asked. It was Jamie who answered.

            "Yes, there's something wrong! What's going to happen to him when he disappears?"

"When he disappears, he will meld with your consciousness because he will have taken you as far as you can go, Jamie. If you're worried about losing him, it's no good. The process is inevitable."

"But I don't want him to go!" Jamie yelled. His face was burning and his skin was beet red as he clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and tried to fight back tears. "He was right, you know. It's not fair!"

"It's not something you can control, either—"

"And that's not something I wanna hear, dad! If… if realizing my ultimate potential means losing my best friend in the process, then I wanna stay mediocre forever!"

**_/Jamie…/_**

"You think I didn't feel like that then?" Oscar replied. Jamie did not answer. His eyes and muscles slightly softened, however. Oscar showed no signs of anger, but Jamie could tell from the tone in Oscar's voice, that he was straining to find the proper words to mask his pain. "Even when I willed the Wild Eagle not to disappear, he did. He can't stay around just because you want him as a friend. That's not his purpose, and I swear I would make it otherwise if I could, but it's a force you can't fight. I'm sorry, son…."

"Why didn't you tell me this would happen, dad?" Jamie's voice was now breaking with every other syllable.

"It's tradition. You're not supposed to know until after it's happened. Just in case telling you before it happens messes up the process. It's supposed to be a miraculous, sudden change, not something you've been expecting your whole life. Wild Eagle, I know you understand what will happen, but I am… sorry."

Wild Eagle returned.

"Ah, don't sweat it. If I gotta go, then I gotta go. Besides, I'm not really leaving Jamie…."

**_~But it won't be the same. I'll never be able to talk to you again….~_**

**_/Uh… Jamie, you've been talking to yourself all this time technically. You know that right?/ _Jamie could feel a ripple in his head that suggested the Wild Eagle was grinning. That reinforced his fear; if he could actually _feel _Wild Eagle's emotions now, how close was his friend to disappearing? It was like his and Wild Eagle's feelings were meshing.**

**_~Arg! This is no time for jokes. You know what I mean!~_**

**_/Yeah, and I also know what your father said is true. It can't be helped, and it can't be changed. When I have done everything I can for you, I will disappear, and there's nothin' you can do./_**

**_~Just watch me!~_**

**_/Jamie…/_**

"Dad?" Jamie asked. 

"What is it, Jamie?"

"I'm gonna change tradition. I don't know how yet, but I'm gonna find a way to save Wild Eagle."

                                                                  ______________

"I can't believe he did that!" Ashley said for the fifth time. She'd been pacing back and forth in the living room ever since she'd learned what Jamie had done. "No one knows the Backdraft like I do. They're going to eat him alive! It's like throwing yourself into a den of wolves! How could he do that without a second thought?"

"You're wrong," Stoler said. "Not wolves. Raptors. _Red _Raptors."

"Okay," Ashley said, pointing a threatening finger at Stoler, who calmly sipped his tea and did not look her way. "This is no time for jokes, Stoler. If we don't do something Jamie is going to die. Oscar is going to die. Tauros will die. They're all dead if we can't find a way to get them out of there and away from the base."

"First of all," Stoler began, "that joke was meant to calm your nerves. You're in no condition to help if you're freaking out like that. Take it from an old man like me. Bad nerves will only make things worse."

"You're right. Sorry."

"Secondly," he added, "you don't know the Backdraft like _I _do. You don't have to worry about how we're going to get them all out safely. I've got it covered."

"What do you mean?" Ashley asked as she sat down across from him. He sipped his tea again and looked up at her.

"I'm saying there are people inside of the Backdraft who will help Jamie and the others get out. We just have to wait until they give the word to attack. Pierce knows about them, too. They helped her escape as well, if you recall."

"I see…" For the first time since Ashley started pacing, she had genuinely calmed. "Speaking of Pierce, where is she?"

"Probably in the hangar or the control room." Stoler took another sip as Brad walked in the room.

"What's up?" he said nonchalantly as he sat on the sofa and stretched.

"We were trying to find out where Pierce is," Ashley explained. "I'm worried about where her head is in all of this."

"Then you clearly don't know Pierce."

"What's _that supposed to mean, Stoler?" Ashley said playfully, but with a short undertone of offense. Stoler sighed and smiled._

"I'm just saying that Pierce doesn't let things get to her. The only time she goes into overdrive is when competition arises. Other than that, she thinks things through, even when she is upset about a certain situation. In any case, Brad, could you go and see what Pierce is planning to do? We haven't heard anything from her since she went to talk to Jamie before he left."

"Sure. No biggie."

He made his way to the control room, only to find that no one was there.

"She must be in the control room," he said sarcastically to no one. "Shoulda known…." 

And he should have. After all, she was so much like Bit, far more concerned with the piloting of Zoids than maintenance and strategy—that was Jamie's thinking place. She would undoubtedly be able to think more clearly in the hangar; of course, Brad couldn't really see how, though. Her Zoid—and Jamie's, for that matter—were nowhere to be found, but he went to the hangar anyway, and, lo and behold, she was there, sitting on the paw of Liger Zero next to Bit.

"So, we have no choice but to attack them head-on?" Bit asked. Pierce responded with a simple nod. Bit shrugged reluctantly. "Well, Leena will love that, that's for sure."

"I really don't know how to plan this out," said Pierce immediately as though she hadn't heard Bit. "I mean, I can do very well in a small battle without orders, but a battle on _this scale of severity, not to mention all the things at stake…"_

"Then you should ask for help," Brad advised. She looked up. "It doesn't help to be secretive in the planning stage. No one else will know what you're doing. The only reason we're not briefed about our missions beforehand is because we have two expert strategists working, but when you don't have that benefit, it's wiser to consult everyone than to take on the task all by yourself."

"I guess you're right…" she said slowly, smiling with gratitude. "I take it that was a life-learned lesson?"

"Course not. I'm a mercenary. I get paid to be able to handle my own. They just don't pay me for making plans, is all." Bit fell over.

"You know," Bit pointed out flatly, "doc won't pay you at all if he gets killed. Just thought I'd refresh your memory."

"Good point. I'll just ask for more money when we set him free."

"Good grief, Brad." Bit was overcome with exasperation. "Is there ever a time when you put people before payment?"

"Not really… on second thought, nope. My own mother doesn't get a dime from me."

"That's pretty cold," Pierce said, mildly laughing. Brad smiled.

"You would think so, wouldn't you? The irony is that it was my mom who raised me that way. 'When you get on your own two feet, never a borrower or lender be, but make sure everyone else owes you something all the same.' My golden rule…" He sighed fondly. "The good old days… brings me back."

"At least we know your soul wasn't sucked out at a young age…" Bit said, shrugging for lack of comprehension. Brad played along.

"Nah… just the unnecessary things… my tact… my honesty… my conscience… but not my soul. I don't think I should ever sell my soul for profit."

"Oh, god… you two are too much," Pierce said, barely able to keep herself from rolling on the floor in a fit of hysterical laughter. "I have to get out of here before I die laughing."

"Yeah… we should tone it down. Jamie wouldn't be pleased about that," Brad said. "Come to think of it, neither would I. All the compensation I'd have to give up for killing you…"

"Okay, okay. Stop, please!" Pierce pleaded, and she ran out the room, but not before she told them to have everyone meet her in the control room in an hour. One hour later, Ashley, the Champ Team, Stoler, the Lightning Team, the incomplete Blitz Team, and the Fluegel Team all met Pierce for what they expected was a conference that concerned their next move. Pierce was looking out the window of the Tauros Base as they entered and took whatever seats were available. No one spoke; instead, they waited for Pierce to start talking.

"Okay," she began as she turned to face them, "as you all know, things aren't looking too good in terms of numbers. We are missing three Zoids, or at least two," she said, correcting herself as she thought about the Pteras, "and they are both aerial Zoids, no less, one of which with the capabilities to turn the tide in this seemingly futile battle—yes, Harry?"

"Well, you're forgetting _my influence," he said, standing boldly as everyone else who knew him personally either sighed, sweatdropped, lowered their heads, or laughed nervously; nothing Harry Champ said could ever __not be annoying. "With my money, we could get quite a few flying Zoids. I know they might not measure up to Jamie's Raynos, even with their combined strength, but we should at least have a better chance than we do now."_

"Wow," Bit said, "and here I was thinking you were gonna say something stupid again."

"Hey, shut up, will ya?"

"Yeah!" Sebastion added. "That's our leader you're speaking too."

"Well, ya gotta admit he says some stupid things…" Brad replied subtly. Sebastian's silence clearly signified that he was giving in.

"True," Benjamin said. "He _does _say some pretty useless things every now and then…."

"God… my own teammates abandoned me. I don't get any respect."

"Aww, Harry…" Leena crooned. Harry's ears twitched; after all, Leena's voice to him was like a warm, summertime melody atop a soft, gentle breeze, like the sweet, pacifying scent that permeated from flowers in full bloom, like—well, you get the idea. "But you have to admit, we were justly surprised at how intelligent your suggestion was."

"Gee, thanks Leena," he said, giggling uncontrollably. Bit and the others marveled at how he'd taken the rephrased insult as a compliment simply because Leena had said it; as far as Bit was concerned, anything Leena had to say couldn't possibly be good, and he sweatdropped.

"Can we continue, please?" Pierce said with urgency. Everyone's attention was on her again. "That will definitely be useful, Harry. How many can you have ready by tomorrow?"

"Hmm… well, I could probably get one or two Stormsworders by then. If I had a little longer, definitely more, though. I have a Zabat secured in my hangar—I like to collect Zoids as well, you see…"

"Um… well, get as many as you can—I'll pass on the Zabat, thanks. Can any of your teammates pilot flying Zoids at all?"

"Well, originally, that was what Benjamin was going to do."

"Then reserve one for me and for Benjamin. I'd appreciate it if you could get on top of that A.S.A.P."

"Got it."

"Okay," Pierce continued,  "the next problem is the shield. Their barriers are just too strong for us to break through. Not even the Raynos was able to handle that, but this is a problem depending more so on Jamie's success inside, not our sheer force outside."

"What do you mean?" Ashley asked.

"We have contacts in the Backdraft who are probably working to get Jamie and the others out as we speak. We will be on standby until they inform us of the safety of the prisoners. From that point on, we will fake an attack and act as decoys, giving them a feeling that we are their primary threat. This will divert most attention away from Jamie so that he and Oscar, who will probably be piloting my Stormsworder for me, will be able to attack them from within, thus weakening the amount of power they can put behind their shields. It's a tactical problem that involves a good deal of timing on both our parts; I'm sure Jamie already realizes this."

            The others murmured mildly amongst themselves, discussing the idea as Pierce looked on. She did not show it through her stern exterior, but she was thoroughly pleased with the sound of consent as each of them discussed whether or not the plan was a good one.

            **_~So this is what Jamie does for his team… interesting...~_**

            "But there's one problem," Brad pointed out.

            "Yes?"

            "How do we get the Backdraft to consider 13 Zoids, currently our ideal maximum, as a threat? I don't know about you, but I'm superstitious. That's an unlucky number."

            "It's simple, well, as simple as it's going to get. I'm sure you already know what we have to do, Mr. Strategist-For-Hire." Brad's cheeks turned a minor tinge of pink, but not enough for everyone—well, almost everyone, as Naomi eyed her beloved very carefully—to notice. "Do you realize what I'm saying?"

            "I guess so. The only ways to make them think 13 Zoids are a threat are to either convince them we have much more than that or at least that these are 13 of the most powerful Zoids straight from hell, and since they already know that we only have two that may be that powerful… it will have to be the first idea. We'll need an illusion, or an elaborate smokescreen, to be exact."

            "Right, and, my dear pilot of the Command Wolf, that's where you come in."

            "Got it. I'll shut up now," and he struggled to stop himself from blushing more, particularly because he could see Naomi smiling at his embarrassment.

            "I've been making some… _slight _modifications to my Legend," Ashley said helpfully.

            "Really? Do you think they'll be significantly useful?"

            "Yes, if used just right. I've added a device that may actually absorb some of the energy behind the enemy's shields to help weaken them even more, if we're lucky. The only problem is that if I perform at any output over 20%, my Zoid will overheat as long as I have the device on, and so, I'll be useless as a decoy. I will need some of you to run interference for me and keep me, or the device at least, from being damaged."

            "My team will handle that," Jack Sisqo volunteered. "Besides, it'd be cool to be working alongside such a celebrity as yourself," he admitted. His teammates giggled. "Knock it off, you two!"

            "I guess that will be all for today…" Pierce said. "You're all dismissed. Begin making preparations for the final battle."

            As they all left out of the room, one by one, Brad stayed behind. He looked at Pierce and smiled.

            "You seem to really be getting into this temporary role…."

            Pierce shrugged and smirked.

            "Well, what can I say? I like being in a position of authority."

                                                                              ______________

            "So, what are you up to, doc?" Tirano asked as he followed hastily behind Layon, who swept through each hallway swiftly.

            "You'll see. The process is almost complete."

            "Hold on, doc. What process? I'm not following you. What's goin' on?"

            "_You'll see," Layon emphasized much to Tirano's dismay._

            "This sucks, doc. I just want you to know that."

            "Ah, stop whining and suck it up. The suspense will be well worth it when we get there… and here we are!" They stopped in a room that seemed big enough to be a hangar, but there was a bunch of technical and experimental equipment all over the place, and in the center, the Raynos, Warshark, Stormsworder, and Gojulas, each with their own fair share of wires and other things attached to them. All the cockpits were open, and a bunch of workers were tending to each Zoid as they busily jumped in and out of the cockpits. It was a lab of some sort. Tirano was open-mouthed, and, for a moment, speechless.

            "Doc… what… is this?"

            "So, what do you think? As soon as we acquired the Raynos, we immediately set to taking its system and incorporating it into the Stormsworder, a Gojulas meant for you, and my Warshark. These will be prototypes. If the tests are proven successful, we will immediately begin mass production of these systems for our own, invincible army."

            "That's incredible! And these will be ready by…?"

            "Tomorrow, m'boy, tomorrow. In fact, they'll be done tonight but all that technical junk will have been removed from them _by _tomorrow. I have seven words for you: rest yourself. Tomorrow is a big day." Tirano smirked.

            "Not only will I be killing that little brat personally, but, instead of destroying his Zoid, I'll be using it to kill his friends… excellent." He chuckled evilly in such a manner that it even made Layon feel uneasy.

            "Okay... I think I'm going to go celebrate over some specially-made noodles right now."

                                                                                _______________

            The prisoners in the cell were all eerily silent, but that did not erase the air of panic that each one seemed to permeate. Wild Eagle had long since retired his stream of consciousness, and Jamie could feel soft, fluctuating waves as though to signify snoring, coming from somewhere deep within him. He looked at his father, whose head drooped despairingly as it faced the stone floor, then to Tauros, who looked very pensive; he was probably calculating a means of escape.

            The only one who was not thinking about immediate death was Jamie. He could not explain why, but he knew that from him, and because of Wild Eagle, a ferocious confidence was building; tomorrow, the Blitz Team would triumph against all odds, and nothing Layon could throw at him would ever change that. But that did not change the fact that death, in one way or another, was on each and every last prisoner's mind.

            Wild Eagle's silence, his willingness to sleep, boggled Jamie, especially when he knew his best friend did not have much time left. As his mind raced, trying to find some explanation for it, he could not help getting a fleeting image of weariness, like that of a man whose endured the entire journey of life, from deep within the caverns of his mind.

            **_~That must be it!~ _**he thought. **_~Wild Eagle feels old….~_**

            If what others said about approaching death were to be believed, Wild Eagle must have been getting rather pensive, reflective, even. His very life must have been flashing before his eyes, and a curious stream of thought left Jamie; what would Wild Eagle see? How would he see it? Surely, even though he and Jamie both experienced the same instances since his appearance, they had taken different meanings from those same experiences? Would Wild Eagle be content with what he'd done during his short existence, or would Jamie feel a strong feeling of regret trickle down his spine—as though it were his own—when Wild Eagle disappeared?

            **_~No!~ _**Jamie objected. **_~You're going to save Wild Eagle, remember?~_**

            But just as easily, a negative voice crept into his mind, and even though it was his own thought, it felt like someone else's: doubt in its purest form.

            ~How will you save him? How do you intend to change a tradition that has existed for thousands of years in less than a day?~

            ~I don't know how, but I can. I know that much!~

            A dark, bitter laugh surrounded him in a spine-chilling echo.

            ~Don't be a fool! How can you say something so naïve? You couldn't save doc, could you? You may all get out of here tomorrow, but if you were strong enough to have rescued him in the first place, none of this would have happened. Wild Eagle may even have been able to stay around longer.~

            ~Shut up! I can do it, I know I can….~ 

            But in reality, he wasn't sure at all. Not now, at least, after he had succumbed to his uncertainty, doubt, and fear.

            ~Please! You couldn't save someone who had his own body, something palpable, solid, material! How on earth do you plan to save a mere stream of thought? He will fade like a lost memory. That's all he is, you know. A thought. An idea that is as feeble and brittle as a cracker. Easily broken!~

            Jamie felt himself becoming enraged. It was invigorating, the power he could feel coming inside. When it came to the validity of his truest friend's existence, he knew, with certainty, that the bond they shared was something that could be held onto. He used this as his strength, and stood up to his insecurities.

            ~What do you know? He is not a thought! He is as much alive as I am, or my father, or doc, or any other creature on this planet! It's you that's just a thought! It's true, I wasn't able to save doc before now, but I was weak then, but not anymore… not now!~

            ~That's an excuse and a mere delusion. You're as much a pathetic boy now as you were then!~

            ~No! It will not happen again! I won't let it! You have no power over me! Go away and don't ever come back!~ and with that, the cold chill of darkness he felt had been lifted, and he knew; his will would keep Wild Eagle in this world some way. He would save his friend. There was no doubt about that. Just as this thought came to him, a knock on the cell door made him jump.

            "Wake up, all of you," came a faint whisper.

            "W-who's there?" said Jamie defiantly, as though he were bracing himself for his final moments. He was not ready, however when the voice behind the door replied, "A friend."

            "Really? Are you here to help us?"

            "Yes, but stop asking questions. We don't have much time. I'm coming in." The routine sound of clicks gave way to a creak as the door opened and everyone was engulfed in light. It took awhile for Jamie's eyes to adjust, but when they did a rather tall man with strange, yet suiting, sunglasses stood in the entrance. He smiled, and extended a warm hand to them all, gesturing them to come with him.

            "I'm Palta," he said with a slightly raspy voice, introducing himself. "I saved Pierce when they held her here recently, and now I'm gonna help you. It's a pleasure to meet the pilot of the Raynos, face-to-face."

            Jamie stood shakily, still unable to believe his good fortune, but he shook Palta's hand anyway. Palta looked back at Oscar, who was supporting a struggling Tauros, and he rushed past Jamie to help Oscar.

            "This might slow us down a bit, but all we have to do is get you to your Zoids and you'll be fine."

            "What about you? What if you get caught?" Tauros asked weakly, groaning as a jolt of pain apparently struck him when he tried to position his legs properly. "I don't know how we can rep—"

            "Look, don't worry about me or repaying me. Consider this something I owe Pierce. Now let's get you in your Zoids. There are three of them for you all to take."

            "Wait a sec," Jamie interrupted. "Doc can't pilot a Zoid in his condition, can he?"

            "Don't be silly!" Tauros insisted. "I'm fit as a—arggghhh!" and he collapsed onto his knees.

            "Doc," Jamie said with the air of a medical expert, "I don't know what an 'arggghhh' is, but I don't like the sound of it. We gotta find another way to get you out of here."

            "Can't we just put him in one of our cockpits?" Oscar asked.

            "No. Neither the Stormsworder or the Raynos can support a second passenger."

            "He's right," Tauros said unwillingly.

            "Then I'll pilot the third Zoid and take him with me," Palta volunteered. They looked at him like he was crazy. "Look," he added sternly, "War Sharks have a lot more space for that kind of thing, so I can get the good doctor to safety while you go help your friends, got it? Good," he said, when no other objections were raised.

            They made their way to the technical ward, where they found the hangar-sized room and their fellow Zoids, with no wires whatsoever, sleeping in the darkness. It was strange how no guards were around, and Oscar pointed this out suspiciously, but Palta assured him it was as safe as they were going to get.

"Not to be a bother," said Wild Eagle, who apparently switched with Jamie, "but can you take him out tonight? We'll position ourselves into our respective cockpits until morning, but I'd feel better if he got to safety beforehand. I think if you take the War Shark from underground, no one will notice you took it, will they? I mean, those things can escape radar from underground, right?"

            "Hey!" Palta said. "That's not a half-bad idea. I'll take him to the base and let them know to get ready. See you guys tomorrow, and good luck! Just lower me into the underground Hangar, and I'll be set."

            While Palta boarded the War Shark with Tauros, Oscar went over to operate the huge compartment doors beneath the Zoid. He then proceeded to lower the War Shark with the cranes, and when he released the Zoid from his grasp, letting it sink out of sight, he rushed over to the Stormsworder. As he boarded, he faced the Wild Eagle and grinned.

            "What're you waiting for? This is the big event! No turning back now!"

            "Yeah, you're right!" Wild Eagle replied, and he climbed into the Raynos. They both closed their cockpits, cutting their conversation short, and drifted off to sleep; tomorrow would be the decisive battle.

                                                                                 _____________

            Pierce found herself unable to sleep, but, not by a far stretch of the imagination, she found she was not tired, either. On the contrary: she was well awake and well aware of what the morning light would bring. She looked out into the night sky with full anticipation, a general waiting to give her army its first, official command of war. She had not budged for hours, and when others attempted to approach her, they were met by Brad, who issued them away with a gesture and a stern look; he was the only one who seemed to understand her. One by one, each gradually disregarded her silence until it was time to retire to his or her quarters, leaving Pierce in the control room, alone, and completely contemplative.

            ~Even now, as I stand, my love is waiting to fly back to me….~

            Her eyes stared into the distance, extending her consciousness far and beyond, as if the Backdraft Base were in plain view of where she stood. Finally, a yawn managed to escape from her, which had not opened since she'd last spoken with Brad, and she laughed reluctantly.

            ~This is silly. What will be will be, and standing here won't change the fact that I'm gonna be tired as all hell tomorrow.~

            Just as she turned to retire to her own quarters, she heard a strange sound in the distance. She looked outside again, and at first, she didn't notice anything. Then, several seconds and a couple of eye adjustments later, she noticed the sand was moving. That could only mean one thing, and she rushed to wake everyone else from sleep.

            "Get up! A War Shark's coming! Everyone be on your guard! This could ruin everything if they've taken the initiative!"

            She ran out to the hangar and climbed into the newly added Stormsworder reserved for her, and she flew out to meet the unannounced Zoid. It popped up from beneath the sands, and she landed right in front of it. She waited, and the cockpit opened; Palta climbed out, carrying as disoriented Tauros over his shoulder. She jumped out of her cockpit and met them halfway.

            "Palta! What are you doing here? And doc, are you okay?  
            "I don't know how Layon does it," he groaned. "Traveling in a War Shark is no fun, no fun at all…" and he eased himself out of Palta's grip and onto his knees, where he proceeded to vomit; since he hadn't eaten in two days, it seemed, Pierce got the impression that what was coming out was probably vital fluid.

            "I've brought you an early gift and a message. Get ready for a surprise attack."

            "From whom? The Backdraft?" Pierce asked as she watched Brad, Stoler and Leon pick Tauros up and carry him onto a stretcher back into the base.

            "No. You should attack now. The others are waiting for your diversion. Go now."

            "What about you?"

            "Me? I gotta return this to the Backdraft so Layon doesn't suspect anything. It is his Zoid, you know. Also, stay away from this Zoid and the Gojulas. They have been given the system the Raynos uses."

            Pierce gasped; that did not go into accordance with her plans. An army was bad enough, but now super commanders were leading it as well, and that would not be good, not unless they could get the Raynos back.

            "Relax. Jamie and Oscar are in the Raynos and the Stormsworder as we speak. And even better news," he added as Pierce sighed with relief, "the Stormsworder has also had the system installed. Don't worry. Your chances of success are much better now."

            "I don't know how to thank you, Palta," Pierce said, completely overcome with joy.

            "Relax! I owe you for helping me all those times, remember?" He paused for a second, looking like he was trying to think of some grateful form of payment anyway. "Well, now that you mention it, you could give me a kiss for my bravery," he said, grinning. His request was answered by a rather hard smack on the back of the head.

            "Nice try," Pierce said warmly as Palta rubbed his sore head.

            "Well, what can I say? You can't blame me for trying."

            "Sure I can! I'm just not going to," she replied, and they laughed.

            "Well?" Ashley asked as she appeared. "What're you gonna do, Pierce?"

            "Get suited up," said Pierce. "We move out in the hour. Relay that to the others for me, please." As soon as Ashley disappeared from view, she turned to Palta again. "Thank you. Now get out of here before you get caught."

            Within minutes, the War Shark disappeared beneath the sands once more.

                                                                                   ____________

            /So, how much longer before the battle begins?/ Wild Eagle found himself asking Jamie, who had reawakened after he got the sleep he needed. The suspense was killing the both of them.

            BOOM!

            ~I think that answers your question,~ he replied, looking out of the cockpit as lights turned on all over the base. The sounds of frantic soldiers scurrying about made Jamie lay back in his chair, stretch, and sigh.

            What's that noise? Is someone attacking?

            Yeah! They've got a frickin' army, too!

            It's the Liger! Those Tauros Base losers are attacking!

            But that's impossible! They don't have the numbers to take us on! It's suicide.

            Yeah, well, regardless, they're attacking anyway! And the fact that they have an army says it's not suicide! Get to your Zoids and secure the prisoners!

            Um… sir?

            What now!?

            The prisoners ain't in the cell anymore.

            "WHAT? Inform Layon immediately! This is an emergency!"

            "And the fireworks are about to begin," said Jamie with immense satisfaction.

            /Shall we light the fuse?/ asked Wild Eagle, equally satisfied.

            "Not yet. Let's let them chase the others awhile for a bit longer. Timing is everything. We can wait until Layon tries to pilot his War Shark. Speaking of which, why hasn't Palta returned yet?"

            Just then, Palta clambered out of the ladder the huge compartment door provided. He pulled the War Shark out of it with the crane and closed the compartment door; it looked like the Zoid had never budged. Sending the two Zoids a saluting gesture, the pilots realized he was wishing them the best of luck.

            "You too, friend," said Jamie, and he began to turn on all of the cockpit systems. It was time.

Okay, this took awhile to finish, but I'm done. I hope you all enjoy it. As for what to expect, there's gonna be a two-on-two between the Raynos and Stormsworder, and the War Shark and Gojulas. Also, Wild Eagle disappears! But is he gone forever…? Wait and see. This is Yusef Pittman, signing out. Assalaamu 'alaikam!


End file.
